Kim Schrier

Strengthening the Vaccines for Children Program Act of 2026

in committee

Permanent Housing Affordability Act

in committee

RNGR Support Act of 2026

in committee

“Ms. SCHRIER. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to recognize and celebrate September 17, 2025, as the second annual National App Challenge Day. This day honors the ingenuity, creativity, and technical skill of middle and high school students nationwide who are building tools that improve their communities and strengthen our country's future. National App Challenge Day highlights the Congressional App Challenge, a bipartisan, House-sponsored initiative that invites students from every congressional district to learn to code, apply their skills to real-world problems, and share their solutions with their Representatives. What began as a simple invitation to experiment with computer science has grown into a movement that now spans all 50 states, the District of Columbia, and the United States territories. Since the first App Challenge was held in 2015, more than 70,000 students have coded over 12,000 unique apps, supported by tens of thousands of educators, mentors, and volunteer judges each year. The Congressional App Challenge also enjoys overwhelming bipartisan support. In the 118th Congress, 412 Members, representing 95 percent of the House of Representatives, hosted at least one Challenge in their districts. This remarkable level of participation underscores a shared commitment across party lines to empowering America's youth and strengthening the Nation's leadership in STEM education. Through this Challenge, students gain far more than programming experience. They learn to work in teams, think critically, communicate clearly, and iterate on their ideas. They identify local needs and build apps that address them, from expanding access to educational resources and civic information to supporting public health, safety, and environmental resilience. In classrooms, after-school programs, libraries, youth centers, and homes, the Congressional App Challenge opens doors to opportunity and helps develop the next generation of American innovators. Today's observance also honors the teachers, mentors, parents, community partners, and industry volunteers who devote their time and expertise to guiding student creators. Their encouragement ensures that a student's curiosity can become a prototype, that a prototype can become a working product, and that each working product can inspire peers to imagine what is possible with technology. As we mark National App Challenge Day, let us reaffirm our commitment to hands-on STEM education and to equitable pathways into the innovation economy. Investing in our students' potential strengthens the workforce, supports American competitiveness, and sustains the spirit of problem solving that has long defined our Nation. I encourage all Members of the House and their constituents to join me in celebrating National App Challenge Day. Let us recognize the remarkable achievements of these young coders and continue supporting initiatives that cultivate creativity, expand opportunity, and empower students to build solutions that serve their neighbors and their Nation. ____________________”

2025-09-17 · Education