Bacon Announces Opening of 2026 Congressional App Challenge

Bacon Announces Opening of 2026 Congressional App Challenge

Washington, D.C. - Rep. Don Bacon (NE-02) today announced that his office is accepting submissions for the 2026 Congressional App Challenge, a nationwide competition that encourages middle and high school students to explore coding, computer science, and careers in STEM fields.

Students who live in or attend school in Nebraska's 2nd Congressional District are eligible to participate individually or in teams of up to four. The challenge is open to students of all skill levels, regardless of coding experience. Students may create an app using any programming language and for any platform, including desktop, web, mobile, Raspberry Pi, video games, or code used to power robots.

The Congressional App Challenge was established to encourage students to learn to code and pursue careers in STEM. The competition helps students build computer science skills, encourages innovation, and recognizes young people for their work in technology.

Last year's first-place winner from Nebraska's 2nd Congressional District was Gavin Vernon, a junior at Brownell Talbot, who partnered with Michael Zhang of Colorado's 6th Congressional District to develop Youth Policy Pulse, a civic-engagement web application that helps young people understand and participate in the policymaking process.

"There is a growing need to fill high-paying jobs in STEM fields, and the Congressional App Challenge is a fun and engaging way to show students they can play a real role in shaping the future through innovation and technology," said Rep. Bacon. "I strongly encourage students from across Nebraska's 2nd Congressional District to participate, learn new skills, and put their creativity to work."

The submission portal for the 2026 Congressional App Challenge is now open. Students must register and submit their applications by 12:00 p.m. ET on October 26, 2026.

Winners will be selected by a panel of judges from the local community and honored by Rep. Bacon. Winning apps may also be featured in the U.S. Capitol, on House.gov, and on the Congressional App Challenge website.

For questions, please contact Shannon Howard at [email protected] or (402) 938-0300. For more information about the Congressional App Challenge, including rules and registration, please visit www.CongressionalAppChallenge.us.

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