Washington D.C. – Congressman Tom Emmer (MN-06) and Congressman Jason Lewis (MN-02) today announced that their offices will be participating in the 2017 Congressional App Challenge. Emmer, Lewis and Congressman Paulsen are the only members from the Minnesota delegation who currently plan to participate in this challenge.

Established in 2013, the Congressional App Challenge was designed to encourage our nation’s students to become both interested and proficient in Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics (STEM) skills. It does so by inviting high school students to compete against their classmates and students across the state in creating their own mobile device applications, better known as an app.

“I am very proud that my office will open up this great opportunity for students in Minnesota’s Sixth Congressional District for the third year in a row,” said Emmer. “Not only that, but I am also pleased that my Republican colleagues in Minnesota will be joining in on the fun. Our nation is currently facing a major skills gap crisis, and the technology sector has been hit hard, making this challenge even more important. If our nation is to remain relevant, successful, and globally competitive, we must encourage the generation of tomorrow to take an interest in some of these important fields. I am happy that this challenge works to do just that, and I look forward to seeing the brilliant products that Minnesota’s students come up with.”  

"I'm excited to welcome students from across the 2nd District to participate in my first Congressional App Challenge,” said Lewis. “Since I was sworn in, I've made education a priority, and STEM is an area where our young people can step into the jobs of the future and continue to keep the US in place as the world-leader in technology. My office is available to answer any questions and I'll be watching out for some great submissions from our high-schoolers!"

To learn more about the rules and requirements of this challenge, click here. 

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