The 2026 Congressional App Challenge
Each fall, a nation-wide middle and high school STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering and Math)—competition is sponsored by the Members of the U.S. House of Representatives. The Congressional App Challenge is an opportunity to recognize and encourage the STEM talent across the nation, as well as in our Congressional District. Each participating Member of Congress will name a winner to represent their district. A great project for students to work on during the summer months.
The Congressional App Challenge is open to all middle and high school students in our District. The winning app of our district's competition will be featured on the
Congressional App Challenge webpage, and an invitation to attend a winner's celebration inside the U.S. Capitol called #HouseOfCode. The winning app is also featured on House.gov's Congressional App Challenge page
.
The following is a summary of the Congressional App Challenge rules:
Important Dates:
Applications are due by
12 pm EST on October 26th, 2026
.
We will begin our judging process on
November 2nd, 2026
.
The judging period will conclude on
December 1st, 2026,
and we can report 10th District winner into the Review Portal.
By
December 31st, 2026,
Rep. Harrigan's office will notify applicants of their status, and the winner will be announced publicly sometime in early 2027.
Eligibility Criteria:
AGE: Students must be in middle school or high school on October 26th, 2026.
LOCATION: Students are only allowed to compete in a Congressional District which is hosting an App Challenge. Students may compete in either the district in which they reside, or the district in which they attend school. Participants may compete only in one single district. There is no citizenship requirement, but all students competing in the Congressional App Challenge
must be U.S. residents.
TEAMS: Students can compete as individuals, or in teams of up to four (4) students.
○ Any team with more than four (4) students is not eligible to compete.
○ At least half of teammates on any team must live or attend school in
the
same Congressional District
.
PRIOR PROJECTS: Students may submit any app they've created
after the previous year's contest
ONE ENTRY PER PERSON PER YEAR: Students may only submit ONE app per
year. Multiple entries across multiple teams are not allowed.
App Parameters:
TOPIC: The app can be about any topic.
PLATFORM: The app can be on any platform (web app, desktop/PC app, a web
browser extension, robot, Ruby on Rails, mobile, etc).
PROGRAMMING LANGUAGE: Use any programming language: C/C++, Objective C, C#, Java, JavaScript, Python, Ruby, PHP, Swift, "block code", etc.
FUNCTIONALITY: The app must have some degree of functionality to be competitive.
ORIGINALITY: The app must be original and solely owned by the Contestant such that no other party has any rights or interest, whether known or unknown.
If you would like more information on the Congressional App Challenge, or to register and submit, please click here. Please feel free to call Rep. Harrigan's district office at 828-327-6100 if you have any questions or email Regional Director, Eduardo Andrade at Eduardo.Andrade@mail.house.gov
The Congressional Art Competition
Each spring, a nation-wide high school arts competition is sponsored by the Members of the U.S. House of Representatives. The Congressional Art Competition is an opportunity to recognize and encourage the artistic talent in the nation, as well as in our congressional district. The Congressional Art Competition is open to all high school aged students in the District. The over-all winner of our district's competition will be displayed for one year in the U.S. Capitol. The exhibit in Washington will also include artwork from other contest winners nation-wide. Each entry must be original in concept, design, and execution and may not violate U.S. copyright laws. Any entry that has been copied from an existing photo or image (including a painting, graphic, or advertisement) that was created by someone other than the student is a violation of the competition rules and will not be accepted. For more information on copyright laws, we recommend you visit the Scholastic website. The Congressional Art Competition began in 1982 to provide an opportunity for members of Congress to encourage and recognize the artistic talents of their young constituents. Since then, over 650,000 high school students have been involved with the nationwide competition. Important Dates:
Eligibility Criteria: Artwork must be two-dimensional. Each framed artwork can be no larger than 26 inches high, 26 inches wide, and 4 inches deep. If your artwork is selected as the winning piece, it must arrive in Washington, DC, framed. Even when framed, it must still measure no larger than the above maximum dimensions. No framed piece should weigh more than 15 pounds. The art competition application form attached in this email, must be signed by the student, teacher, legal guardian and brought with the art work for submission on TBD date be accepted. Accepted mediums for the two-dimensional artwork are as follows:
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Please review the attached documents for more details on the eligibility, and rules. Rules may be subject to change by the Congressional Institute for the 2026 competition but if they are our office will inform you on those updated rules. If you would like to learn more about the Congressional Art Competition and see previous winners, please click here.
The Congressional Award
The Congressional Award provides opportunities for young people to unleash their potential by achieving personal goals focused on volunteerism, character development, and fitness. The United States Congress established The Congressional Award in 1979 to recognize initiative, service, and achievement in young people. It began as a bipartisan effort in both the United States Senate and the House of Representatives. The original bill was sponsored by Senator Malcolm Wallop of Wyoming and Congressman James Howard of New Jersey. The enabling legislation (Public Law 96-114) established The Congressional Award as a private-public partnership, which receives all funding from the private sector. The legislation was originally signed into law by President Jimmy Carter. Presidents Ronald Reagan, George H.W. Bush, Bill Clinton, George W. Bush, Barack Obama, and Donald J. Trump have each signed continuing legislation.
The program is open to all youth in the US between the ages of 14 and 24 regardless of ability, circumstance, or socioeconomic status. Participants earn Bronze, Silver, and Gold Certificates and Bronze, Silver, and Gold Medals. Each level involves setting goals in four program areas; Voluntary Public Service, Personal Development, Physical Fitness, and Expedition/Exploration.
Participants are eligible to register with the Award at 13 1/2 years old. Participants are eligible to submit completed record book applications when they reach the age of 14 years old.
Earning The Award is a fun and interesting way to get more involved in something you already enjoy or something you’d like to try for the first time. You move at your own pace, on your own or with your friends. The Congressional Award has no minimum grade point average requirements. It accommodates young people with special needs or disabilities who are willing to take the challenge. This is not an award for past accomplishments. Instead, you are honored for setting goals, creating an action plan, and meeting the challenge.
If you would like more information on the Congressional Award or register, please click here.