United States · Grades 6 to 12 · One app per student per year

Congressional App Challenge guide

The Congressional App Challenge is the competition where a student’s app is judged by the office of their own Member of Congress. It is open to middle and high school students, it accepts any programming language and any topic, and a winning app is featured on the House.gov website. This guide is built from the official 2026 rulebook, read in full: who can enter, what a submission needs, what the judges look at, how the rules treat AI tools, and a ten-week plan our teachers use to take a student from a blank page to a working app and a clear demo video.

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In short

The Congressional App Challenge is a coding competition for US middle and high school students, run district by district and judged by each Member of Congress’s office. Students enter alone or in teams of up to four, build an app in any language on any topic, and submit a 1 to 3 minute demo video plus written answers. The 2026 rulebook sets the deadline at 12:00 pm EDT, Monday, October 26, 2026. Modern Age Coders teaches this live online for US students, in a batch or one to one, and the first class is free.

Build the app with a teacher

Three courses for a Congressional App Challenge entry

Each one ends with a working app the student can explain line by line, which is what the judges ask about.

App Development for Teens course thumbnail

CAC / 01

App development for teens

Ages 13 to 18. Real mobile apps in React Native.

Open the syllabus →
Hackathon for Teens course thumbnail

CAC / 02

Hackathon and competition prep

Ages 13 to 18. Scoping, building and pitching on a deadline.

Open the syllabus →
Full Stack Web Development for Teens course thumbnail

CAC / 03

Full stack web for teens

Ages 13 to 18. A web app with a real database behind it.

Open the syllabus →

Who can enter

The 2026 eligibility rules, line by line

These are the rules as the official 2026 rulebook states them. Each later cycle publishes its own rulebook, so check the current one on the official site before you register.

Congressional App Challenge eligibility, from the official 2026 rules (read 17 October 2026)
RuleWhat the 2026 rules say
Age"Students must be enrolled in middle school or high school on October 26th, 2026." Middle school "typically encompasses 6th-8th grades".
Residency"All competing students must be U.S. residents at the time of submission. There is no citizen requirement for students."
DistrictCompete in the district where you live or where you attend school; a district must be hosting a Challenge, and you may submit in only one district.
TeamsIndividuals, or "teams of up to four (4) students"; at least half of a team must live or attend school in the same Congressional District.
Prior work"Students may submit any app they've created after October 30th, 2025." A 2.0 version highlights only the new code.
Entries"Students may only submit ONE app per year." No entries across several teams.

What is open

Almost everything technical. The rules allow any topic, and any platform including web apps, desktop apps, mobile apps, browser extensions, robots, augmented and virtual reality, wearables and embedded systems.

Any language is allowed too, from C, C++, Java, JavaScript, Python and Swift to block-based coding. A sixth grader’s Scratch project and a senior’s React app compete under the same rules.

What trips families up

Registration asks for a personal email address that is not a school account, a parent or guardian’s name and email, and both home and school addresses with the full 9-digit zip code and Congressional District.

Finding the district matters, because a student can compete in only one. Look up both addresses early, and check that your district appears on the official list of participating districts.

Source: Congressional App Challenge rules page and the linked 2026 rulebook PDF, read 17 October 2026. We are not connected with the Congressional App Challenge or the Internet Education Foundation, which administers it.

The calendar

How a Challenge year runs: the 2026 cycle as published

The organisers publish dates for each cycle. Here is the 2026 calendar as published, which also shows the shape each year follows: registration in winter, building through spring and summer, submission in the fall.

The 2026 Congressional App Challenge calendar, from the official rules page and rulebook
When (2026 cycle)What happens
January 1, 2026Student pre-registration opens
May 2026The Challenge officially launches
12:00 pm EDT, Monday, October 26, 2026Deadline to register and submit the app online
November 2026Judging by each Member of Congress’s office
December 2026Winners announced by each hosting Member
January 15, 2027Embargo date before which the organisers cannot disclose 2026 results

What the calendar means for planning

From a May launch to a late October deadline is roughly five months, which is plenty for a student who starts in spring and very tight for one who starts in October.

A comfortable timeline is an idea in the summer, a working first version by September, and the last weeks for testing and the video.

If you are reading between cycles

Once a deadline passes, the next cycle’s rulebook and dates appear on the official site. Use the months in between to learn the tools and build a small practice app.

Remember the prior-work rule: for 2026, apps created after October 30, 2025 were eligible, so work started in the off season can count if the next rulebook keeps a similar rule.

What to submit

The demo video and six questions the judges read

The rulebook calls the demonstration video the most critical part of the application. It is also where many good apps lose marks, because the video does not explain what the app does.

What the 2026 demonstration video must include, from the official rulebook
ItemRule
Length"The video should be 1-3 minutes long." Videos outside the limit may be penalized.
NamesThe name of each participant and the name of the app
PurposeThe purpose of the app, explained in one clear sentence
AudienceWho the app is intended for
ToolsThe tools and coding languages used
FunctionA showcase of the app working
HostingUploaded to YouTube or Vimeo and set to "public"
  1. What is the title of your app?
  2. Explain the app’s purpose.
  3. What inspired you to create this app?
  4. What technical or coding difficulty did you face, and how did you address it?
  5. What did you learn while participating? What was your biggest takeaway?
  6. What would you change if you were to create a 2.0 version?

Writing the one-sentence purpose

The rules ask for the purpose in one clear sentence, and that sentence does more work than any other line in the application. A useful pattern is: who it helps, what problem it solves, and how.

Compare "An app for school" with "A book-swap app that lets students at our middle school list, find and borrow books from each other in under a minute." The second tells a judge exactly what to look for in the demo.

The technical difficulty answer

Question four is where a student shows they built the app themselves. Name one real bug, say what caused it, and say how it was fixed.

Judges can request the source code, and the rules say refusing that request means disqualification, so every claim in the answers should match the code.

The rulebook is clear that "This is not a video-creation competition." A screen recording with a clear voice-over is enough; fancy editing earns nothing.

The AI rule

Can students use AI tools in a Congressional App Challenge app?

Yes, under conditions the 2026 rules spell out. Families ask about this more than any other rule.

AI, originality and open source in the 2026 rules
TopicWhat the 2026 rules say
AI tools"The use of AI tools in app development for the Congressional App Challenge is permitted, provided that all AI usage is fully disclosed in the submission materials."
Limit on AIAI may support specific aspects of the project and "must not constitute the entirety of the technical development".
OriginalityThe app must be original and created by the student or team; all coding and technical development must be theirs.
LibrariesOpen-source libraries, frameworks and external tools are allowed if their use is clearly documented.

How we apply it in class

Students keep a simple AI log from day one: the date, the tool, what they asked, and what they kept. When the submission asks about AI, the answer is already written and accurate.

Our rule for students is the same as the judges’ spirit: if AI suggested a piece of code, the student must be able to explain it before it stays in the app.

Age-appropriate tools

Many general AI chatbots set their own minimum ages in their terms, and some are for adults only. Under-18 students should use only tools whose terms allow their age, with a parent aware of the account.

For most entries, AI is most useful for explaining an error message or suggesting a test case, not for writing the app.

Judging

How Congressional App Challenge apps are judged

Judging happens district by district, which is the feature that makes this competition unusual.

Judging and prizes in the 2026 rules
PointWhat the 2026 rules say
Who judgesThe Member of Congress and their office, who may use a panel of judges
CriteriaQuality of the idea (creativity and originality); implementation (user experience and design); "Demonstrated excellence of coding and programming skills"
Source codeJudges may request access to the app and source code; refusing means disqualification
WinnersAnnounced directly by the hosting Member of Congress
RecognitionEach district winner is featured on the House.gov and CongressionalAppChallenge.us websites, and can receive a copyright fee waiver under the ARTS Act
Ownership"Contestants will own the intellectual property rights to their Submission"

Reading the three criteria

The idea, the implementation and the code are weighed together. A brilliant idea that barely runs struggles, and so does polished code that solves nothing anyone needs.

Implementation includes user experience and design, so a judge who opens the app should understand it within seconds, without the student in the room.

Why the district matters

Each office judges the entries in its own district, so a student competes against classmates and neighbors, not the whole country.

Apps that solve a problem the student has seen in their own school or community are easy for a local office to understand, which is a natural advantage.

By the numbers

How big the Congressional App Challenge is

The figures the organisers publish for the 2025 cycle and since the first official Challenge.

Congressional App Challenge figures, from the official About and Impact pages (read 17 October 2026)
FigureValueSource
Participants in 202513,830Impact page
Applications in 20254,850Impact page
Congressional Districts participating in 2025394Impact page
Students since 201585,000Impact page
House Resolution 77 vote (2013)411 to 3About page

Our own arithmetic on the organiser’s 2025 figures: 4,850 applications across 394 participating districts is about 12.3 applications per district (4,850 / 394), if every application came from those districts. Real districts vary widely, so treat this as a sense of scale, not a forecast for any one district. Sources: Impact and About.

Ten weeks

A ten-week plan from idea to submitted app

Our plan for a student entering alone or with one teammate. It assumes about three hours a week, including one live class.

Ten weeks to a Congressional App Challenge entry (ours)
WeekGoalDone when
1Pick a real problemOne problem, one audience, written in a sentence
2Scope itA must, should and later list (see below)
3Choose the toolsA starter project that runs on the target device
4 to 5Build the must featuresA first version a friend can use without help
6Test with real usersFive people tried it; three problems written down
7Fix and add one should featureThe three problems are fixed
8Polish the designA judge understands the screen in seconds
9Video and answersA 1 to 3 minute video and the six answers drafted
10Submit earlySubmitted days before the deadline, AI log disclosed

Grades 6 to 8

Block code or a simple web app is perfectly eligible. Keep the must list to three features.

Grades 9 to 10

A first typed-code app: a web app in JavaScript or a Python project with a simple interface.

Grades 11 to 12

A full app with a database or an API, and the time to test it properly with real users.

A worked example

Scoping an app: must, should, later

Most unfinished entries are too big, not too hard. Here is how one of our example projects, a book-swap app for a middle school, gets cut down to something a student can finish and demo.

Scoping a school book-swap app (our example; effort is our estimate in class hours)
FeatureBucketEffort (hours)Why
List a book with title and photoMust4Without it there is no app
Search books by titleMust3The core use in the demo
Request to borrowMust5Shows the app solving the problem
Sign in with a school-approved accountShould6Useful, but a demo can use test accounts
Ratings and reviewsLater6Nice, not needed to show the idea
Chat between studentsLater10Big, and raises safety questions

In our estimate the three must features take 12 hours (4 + 3 + 5), which fits weeks 4 and 5 of the plan at three hours a week with time to spare for bugs. Adding everything would take 34 hours, almost three times as long, and the extra features would barely change what a judge sees in a three-minute video.

Getting ready

Four stages before a strong entry

Where students usually are when they first hear about the Challenge.

From first app to Challenge entry (ours)
StageWhat it looks like
1. CuriousHas built small projects or games, maybe in Scratch
2. BuilderCan make a simple app work with help
3. FinisherHas finished one app end to end, tested by others
4. EntrantCan scope, build, explain and demo an app on a deadline

For parents

A student at stage 1 or 2 in spring can still enter in the fall with a steady plan.

The biggest jump is from builder to finisher: shipping one complete small app teaches more than starting three big ones.

For students

Pick a problem you have actually seen. It makes every answer in the application easier to write.

Keep your AI log and your bug notes as you go. They become your submission answers.

The catalogue

Nine courses for app builders in grades 6 to 12

Every course is taught live online by a regular teacher, in a batch or one to one.

I

Middle school

Grades 6 to 8
II

High school

Grades 9 to 12

CAC / HS / 01

Python for teens

Projects with data and interfaces.

Open the syllabus

CAC / HS / 03

JavaScript for teens

A web app from the first week.

Open the syllabus
III

Going further

Strong coders

CAC / ADV / 01

AP Computer Science Principles

The Create task and the exam.

Open the syllabus

CAC / ADV / 03

Vibe coding for teens

AI-assisted building, disclosed.

Open the syllabus

How lessons run

Live classes around a busy school schedule

Weekdays or weekends, flexible: choose your batch, or for a very personalised plan choose 1-on-1 at your convenience, weekend mornings or weekdays.

Weekdays

Pick a batch that fits after school in your time zone.

Weekends

Weekend mornings are popular before a deadline.

1-on-1

Very personalised, timed around the project.

One mentor

The same teacher across the whole build.

Week-by-week plan

The ten weeks, adjusted to the student.

Code review

Every feature explained before it stays.

Video rehearsal

Practice the three-minute demo out loud.

Live, online

From any district in any state.

Batch or one to one

Fifteen to twenty, or one to one.

Student work

Apps our students have shipped

Real projects by our learners, from first apps to full web tools. The student labs page has more.

NutriLife AI nutrition coach project screenshot

AI and ML

NutriLife

An AI nutrition coach that reads what you eat and works you toward a target.

by Bhavya · Open it

Misti AI chatbot for maths and coding screenshot

AI and ML

Misti

A chatbot that answers mathematics and programming questions, built and deployed by a student.

by Harshit · Open it

GuardianX AI internet safety assistant screenshot

AI and ML

GuardianX

An assistant that helps a young person recognise unsafe situations online.

by Vivaan · Open it

SkyCast weather forecast application screenshot

Web app

SkyCast

A weather forecasting site with live conditions for any location.

by Krish

Fees

Fees

Entering the Challenge is free; our part is the teaching. Classes are billed one month at a time in US dollars, with nothing to sign for the whole build, so a student can join for the months before a deadline and stop afterwards.

Free first class

USD 0

no card required

  • A free first lesson
  • Bring your app idea
  • No card details
Book it

Group batch

USD 100

a month, billed in US dollars

  • Fifteen to twenty learners
  • One regular teacher
  • Choose your batch
  • Monthly
Start here

One to one

USD 150

a month, billed in US dollars

  • A mentor to yourself
  • Timed around your deadline
  • Your own app
Enquire

What families say

Rated 4.9 across 547 Google reviews

Reviews parents left on Google, unchanged.

★★★★★

"The one step solution for my son. Modern Age Coders make learning coding so simple that kids love it. The teachers explain complex concepts clearly with practical exercises and interactive content."

Ria Mukherjee

Parent

★★★★★

"Modern Age Coders has been a game-changer for me. I struggled to grasp IT concepts and coding before joining, but their classes transformed everything. I can now confidently write complex programs with ease."

Samriddha Mondal

Student

★★★★★

"One of the most wonderful education centres out there. Education is not limited to school syllabus but focuses on skill development."

Vansh Agarwal

Student

★★★★★

"My child Dhairya is really enjoying the Modern Age Coders classes. This is his first online class and he eagerly looks forward to it. I can already see his improvement, and the teachers are very cooperative."

Sonam Oswal

Parent of Dhairya

★★★★★

"Modern Age Coders have wonderful teachers who teach in a clear, easy and practical way. The teacher boosts students' confidence and inspires them to learn without hesitation."

Sonu Goyal

Parent

★★★★★

"I highly recommend this computer coding class! The teachers are incredibly knowledgeable and passionate about coding."

Ritu Kedia

Parent

Questions from families

Congressional App Challenge: common questions

What is the Congressional App Challenge?

It is a coding competition for US middle and high school students, run in participating Congressional Districts and judged by each Member of Congress and their office. It is administered by the Internet Education Foundation.

Who can enter the Congressional App Challenge?

For 2026, students enrolled in middle or high school on October 26, 2026 who were US residents at the time of submission. The rules say there is no citizen requirement.

Can students enter as a team?

Yes. The 2026 rules allow individuals or teams of up to four students, and at least half of a team must live or attend school in the same Congressional District.

What programming language can be used?

Any language, including C, C++, Java, JavaScript, Python, Swift and block-based coding. Any platform is allowed too, from web and mobile to robots and wearables.

Can AI tools be used?

Yes, for 2026, if all AI use is fully disclosed in the submission. AI may support parts of the project but must not be the entirety of the technical development.

How long should the demo video be?

The 2026 rulebook says one to three minutes. It must name the participants and the app, state the purpose in one sentence, describe the audience and tools, and show the app working.

What is the 2026 deadline?

The 2026 rulebook sets the deadline at 12:00 pm EDT on Monday, October 26, 2026. Later cycles publish their own dates on the official site.

How are winners chosen?

Each Member of Congress and their office judge their district, sometimes with a panel. The 2026 criteria were the quality of the idea, its implementation, and demonstrated excellence of coding and programming skills.

What do winners receive?

For 2026, each district winner is featured on the House.gov and CongressionalAppChallenge.us websites and can receive a copyright fee waiver through the ARTS Act. Districts may add certificates or small awards.

Can a middle schooler with only Scratch experience enter?

Yes. Block-based coding is allowed. A small, finished Scratch app with a clear purpose is a real entry; the plan on this page keeps the must list to three features for grades 6 to 8.

How can Modern Age Coders help?

A regular teacher works through the ten-week plan with your student: scoping, building, testing, the demo video and honest AI disclosure. Classes are weekdays or weekends, flexible, in a batch or one to one.

Elsewhere on this site

Related pages

More for US students who like to build and compete.

Coding classes in the USA

All of our pages for US families.

Hackathons for high schoolers

Building on a deadline, in teams.

CS extracurriculars

What else strong CS students do.

AP CS Principles

The Create task and exam.

How to make a Roblox game

A first project for younger builders.

Student labs

Apps our learners built.

Presidential AI Challenge guide

The Presidential AI (now SI) Challenge explained from the official 2027 rules.

ACSL competition preparation

ACSL from the official 2026-27 pages, with original practice problems.

picoCTF for beginners

picoCTF, now CyLab Security Academy, for US beginners aged 13 and up.

Start here

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Bring the idea, even if it is only a sentence. In the first lesson the teacher helps turn it into a must, should and later list, so you leave with a plan.

If you would like to know how classes work first, our teaching method is set out step by step, and the full course list shows each syllabus.

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