Last month at the 2017 CSforALL Summit in St. Louis, Rachel Decoste, Congressional App Challenge Director, highlighted the spectacular growth the program has made in just two short years. In her keynote to the nation’s leading stakeholders in computer science education, Decoste illustrated the tremendous reach of the App Challenge as well as its incredible diversity participation numbers.
Geographic Footprint of the 2017 Congressional App Challenge
The Congressional App Challenge‘s demographics surpass the tech industry’s best in terms of gender diversity, with 30% of past participants self-identifying as young women. Furthermore, the App Challenge boasted racial and ethnic diversity, including 17% Hispanic and 7% African-American participants in 2016.
At the Summit, the Congressional App Challenge debuted its geographic footprint, including an impressive presence in rural districts. A video of the presentation is available online.
We’re so grateful for our summer Google Policy Fellow, Rebecca Tjahja. Below is a blog post by her describing her summer in DC. Thank you so much, Rebecca!
Washington, D.C. is undoubtedly the best city in America to intern. The last 12 months of living in D.C. have made me a bit biased, but I say this as a proud California native. It has sometimes been challenging spending a year in D.C. while still in school, but the incredible opportunities that I have been able to take on have made every challenge worth it. I’ve had the privilege of working for the White House, the Financial Services Roundtable, and the Internet Education Foundation (IEF) as a Google Policy Fellow. The incredible impact of the experiences I’ve had and the people I’ve met have shaped me as a young woman and young professional. Here are the three reasons why every young professional should intern in D.C.:
1) Close relationships focused on your development as a leader
Passionate people from around the world come to D.C., bringing with them an incredible amount of brain power and diversity in background. From policy advisors up to the President’s senior advisors, the level of expertise and intelligence was amazing. Fortunately, everyone took time to share their expertise and perspective with the interns, and helped us see how to become the leaders we wish to be. During my time at the White House I was incredibly lucky to serve under Special Assistant to the President, R. David Edelman. He never hesitated to give me the responsibility and autonomy to think for myself, and allowed me to exercise a part of my brain and leadership ability I wouldn’t be able to otherwise in another setting. I found that other leaders in D.C. followed this same practice. As a Google Fellow, the executive director of IEF, Tim Lordan, gave me the same freedom to start and develop my own large-scale project and encouraged me to take initiative rather than cautioning me against it. I also managed to make it on C-SPAN thanks to Tim!
2) The people that you will meet
I grew up in Los Angeles, but I think I’ve met more famous people in Washington, D.C. than in LA. It’s also important to note that one’s perception of who is “famous” changes while in D.C. (I think I fangirled more about meeting Ian Bremmer than Selena Gomez. Who’s Ian Bremmer? Exactly.) Influential people are infinitely more accessible in Washington D.C. than anywhere else. The number of hearings, events, and receptions that I’ve been invited to has led me to connect with some of the most important decision-makers in the free world. I even had the opportunity to directly ask President Obama for his advice on leadership, which is a moment that will stay with me forever.
3) History is not only felt, but made here
I stood backstage with then Secretary Julian Castro and my boss from the White House as they prepared to give their remarks up on stage about rural broadband connectivity; sat front row as President Obama and Leonardo DiCaprio discussed the climate change and its future threat to our society; walked and talked with five different ambassadors down West Executive Drive about current happenings in their countries; stood in front of the Capitol as the transfer of power was passed from President Obama to President Trump. I didn’t realize at the time that my day-to-day activities and observations were at the forefront of what was defining our country. There is no other place in the world where “learning by watching” has been more impactful or motivating. Every young professional can come here and have the same experience.
Many successful and powerful influencers and decision makers’ paths have their humble beginning as an intern like me in Washington, DC, and right now I see myself at the beginning of a similar trail. Life-changing opportunities come with the right person, place, and time, and this city is an amazing catalyst in that equation. One connection has evolved into many, each providing insight into my strengths, weaknesses, and which direction I want to go into in my near and far future. If you are looking for an intellectually challenging environment to grow as a leader and person, Washington, D.C. is the place to be. It is a place where I felt that I could make a difference and where a difference was made within me.
We’re so grateful for our summer fellow, Ryan Saraie. Below is a feature of him from the Cal in the Capital Blog 2017. Thank you so much, Ryan!
Ryan Saraie
UC Berkeley Class of 2019
Environmental Economics & Policy Major Internet Education Foundation
After six long, hard years of being away, I finally returned to Washington DC. No, one week-long trip in the eighth grade wasn’t enough. I knew I had to come back. Every moment leading up to this summer was exciting, from applying for internships to buying plane tickets. I honestly had a great time going through baggage claim.
In spite of all of the expectations I had set for the summer, I never once thought that I would ever be experiencing DC as a normal city that people do normal things in. Sure, I checked out the National Mall and toured the US Capitol Building, but eventually I was going to less touristy things like farmers markets and open mic nights. Recently, I have learned that DC has a unique culture, one in which politics and personal life often mesh together. Here, politics has a role in its residents’ careers, beliefs, and aspirations. It’s nice to live in an environment in which most people care about the public problems that affect everyday lives, which is what partially drew to me to living in DC for the summer.
Working in this city has given me the opportunity to better understand my role as someone interested in being involved with politics. I have known for a while that I wanted to engage in the policy realm and help improve the lives of others, but I never knew in what capacity. From interning with the Internet Education Foundation (or IEF), I have gained a sincere interest in working within the intersection of tech and policy to solve pressing issues that affect the general public. Specifically, I’m doing work on the Congressional App Challenge, an IEF-sponsored national coding competition that exists to get kids of all ages and backgrounds involved in computer programming. Interning within this route of tech policy is rewarding, and I never would have realized that I found this field to be enjoyable without being in DC.
This summer experience has notably affected my future career path. I have always believed that Washington DC is an awesome city, and after going through this program I am now fairly certain that I would enjoy living in the DC-Maryland- Virginia area. I will probably be applying for future internships/jobs within the area. Prior to my time with the IEF, I wasn’t too sure if I wanted to be potentially employed at a nonprofit. After almost two months in my internship, I am very satisfied with the work I do, and I am sure that I could thrive in a nonprofit setting. Above all else, I have honestly become more inspired than ever to work on public issues. A big thank you to those who supported me in my journey to DC, and GO BEARS!!!
It begins today! The third annual Congressional App Challenge (CAC) has now launched and will run through November 1, 2017. The CAC is a congressional initiative to encourage student engagement in coding and computer science through local app challenges hosted by the Members of Congress. This year, there are over 165 Members of Congress signed up to participate!
The CAC aims to bridge the gender, geographic, and racialgaps in tech. In its first two years, the program yielded 239 challenges across 33 states. Over 1,150 apps were created by nearly 4,000 students, and participant demographics surpassed all industry diversity metrics, with young women representing 30% of all competitors. This year, the Congressional App Challenge will strive to build upon those numbers.
During the next 14 weeks, thousands of students in participating Congressional districts will create and submit their own original applications, that will be evaluated by panels of local judges.The Members of Congress will announce the winners during Computer Science Education Week in early December. Winners will be honored by their Member of Congress. More prizes will be announced throughout the Challenge.
The CAC was created because Congress recognizes how essential computer science and STEM skills are for economic growth and innovation, and that the U.S. is currently experiencing a dearth of adequately trained technical talent. By some estimates there are nearly a quarter of a million unfilled programming jobs in the US, right now. The CAC is a congressional effort to maintain American competitiveness, by proactively inspiring our youth and encouraging them to pursue these crucial skills.
The Challenge owes gratitude to Representatives Bob Goodlatte and Anna G. Eshoo, co-chairs of the Congressional Internet Caucus, who requested and supported the creation of the CAC. Challenge execution is supported by the efforts of our Advisory Board, which includes the American Indian Science and Engineering Society, the Computer Science Teachers Association, Girls Who Code, Hispanic Heritage Foundation, Capital One, and Cisco, as well as a broad coalition of CS-focused partners.
For more information about the Congressional App Challenge, please visit CongressionalAppChallenge.us. If you are interested getting involved or in supporting the Congressional App Challenge, please contact our Director, Rachel Decoste, at [email protected].
The CAC’s new Director is a skilled coder who is passionate about increasing the reach of computer science and STEM among youth
WASHINGTON, DC – Rachel Décoste, an accomplished Software Engineer and STEM advocate, will spearhead the Congressional App Challenge (CAC) as it prepares its 3rd annual Challenge on July 26, 2017. Décoste joins the Internet Education Foundation, the CAC’s official coordinator, as Director of the project. The CAC is a congressional initiative to encourage student engagement in coding and computer science through app contests hosted by Members of Congress in their districts.
“The Congressional App Challenge is the largest series of student coding competitions in the world,” said Tim Lordan, Executive Director of the Internet Education Foundation. “Rachel is an accomplished computer scientist and an inspirational leader. We expect her to push the contest to new heights.”
Ms. Décoste is an autodidactic coder, having taught herself computer programming using a library book. She started with a small app simulating a math quiz for her little sister. A decade later, Ms. Décoste was coding air traffic control systems for the Federal Aviation Agency, among others. Ms. Décoste’s trajectory inspires young people – including women, minorities and those who live in the heartland – to rise to the Challenge.
“I’m excited to join a team of people who are passionate about increasing STEM among America’s youth and connecting the U.S. Congress with their local tech communities,” said Ms. Décoste. “Learning to code in as a teenager opened the door to a fantastic career for me. I hope the Congressional App Challenge will be a catalyst for the next generation of tech leaders.”
In the first 2 years of the program yielded 239 challenges across 33 states. Over 1,150 apps were created by nearly 4,000 students, and participant demographics surpassed all industry diversity metrics, with young women representing 30% of all competitors. This year, the CAC initiative aims to reach even more constituents.
For further information about the Congressional App Challenge, please visit www.CongressionalAppChallenge.us. If you are interested getting more involved or in supporting the Congressional App Challenge, please contact Rachel Décoste at [email protected].
The Internet Law and Policy Foundry (the Foundry) is proud to announce its second class of Fellows.The 2017 Fellows Class consists of 57 future leaders in Internet law and policy. The Fellows are students and early career professionals from leading Internet companies, law and professional services firms, top universities, and major nonprofits.
The Foundry is a project that aims to bring together a cadre of future leaders in the Internet law and public policy space. At the center of the Foundry are its Fellows, students and early career professionals with a strong interest and track record in Internet law and policy. The Fellows run the Foundry, putting together events and content of interest to the technology, law, and public policy communities.
The 2017 Fellows will begin running the Internet networking and education group by the Fall of 2017. The Foundry chooses a new cohort of Fellows through a competitive process every two years. The inaugural Class of Fellows was selected in 2015, and will transition out of their Fellow roles as the 2017 Fellows ramp up their activities over the summer.
The 2017 Class represents diversity in demographics, geography, ideology, and skillsets. While many Fellows are lawyers, the class also includes social science researchers, journalists, and communications experts. Several fellows have backgrounds as programmers, engineers, data analysts, and in similar technical roles.
Geography of the 2017 Class of Fellows
The Foundry is based in Washington, DC. The 2017 Fellows, however, are a geographically diverse group. Of the 57 Fellows:
23 are in Washington, DC
17 are in the Bay Area
7 are in New York City
Others are in Seattle; Portland; Houston; San Diego; South Bend, Indiana; New Haven, Connecticut; Western Massachusetts; and Baltimore.
How the Fellows are Selected
Foundry Fellows are chosen through a competitive process. The Foundry began requesting applications for the 2017 Class of Fellows in late summer of 2016, and the Inaugural Class reviewed applications through February of this year. For its Fellows, the Foundry seeks “doers” who are interested in the Foundry’s activities, have a passion for technology, and can provide diverse perspectives on Internet Law and Policy issues.
Internet Education Foundation
The Foundry is a project of the Internet Education Foundation (IEF), which runs the Congressional App Challenge and the annual State of the Net conference in Washington, DC, perhaps the best known conference on Internet policy issues. IEF also runs the Congressional Internet Caucus Advisory Committee, which hosts a long running series of technology briefings on Capitol Hill.
The IEF launched the Foundry to fill a gap: before the Foundry there were few if any professional organizations for lawyers and policy experts focused specifically on Internet law and policy, despite growing interest in the field. The Foundry also provides opportunities for students and early career professionals to provide leadership and showcase their skills, distinguishing it from well established niche bar associations and other professional groups.
The Internet Education Foundation is seeking an experienced, energetic and dynamic Program Director to lead one of its projects, the Congressional App Challenge. The position is based in Washington, D.C.
The Congressional App Challenge (CAC) is a young, nationwide effort aimed at encouraging students to learn how to code, through localized app challenges hosted by Members of Congress. (More details on the CAC below.
RESPONSIBILITIES
The Program Director position will be responsible for overseeing execution of the Congressional App Challenge, including:
Program Management: The Program Director is responsible for determining, implementing and overseeing CAC processes. These include, but are not limited to: congressional registration and participation, student registration and project submission, partnership management, localized outreach strategies, diversity-promoting strategies, etc.
In the last 2 years, nearly 4,000 students have participated in 239 challenges across 33 states – and the program is growing in popularity. The Program Director will need to establish new data management protocols to protect the information of thousands of students, connect congressional offices with pertinent organizations, and more.
Fundraising: The Program Director is an integral part of the organization’s fundraising efforts. The Program Director must be able to articulate the project’s goals and value to prospective funders, communicate with existing funders, and determine a strategy to attract additional funders. A background in grant applications and foundation fundraising is a bonus.
Communications/Marketing: The Program Director must use communications tools and strategies to recruit student participation and stakeholder support in pockets all across America. This role will require raising awareness of the project through social media, email marketing campaigns, personalized communications, and frequent public speaking under a variety of conditions.
Manage A Growing Team: Currently, the primary CAC consists of a full-time Program Manager, several part-time consultants, and several interns and volunteers. As the program grows, the Program Director will need to establish hiring criteria and processes, manage onboarding, and oversee a growing team.
As the Program Director you will:
Oversee all efforts involved in execution of the Congressional App Challenge.
Develop and maintain sponsor relationships.
Build partnerships with community organizations, both nationwide and local, to advance outreach efforts in participating districts.
Develop and maintain improved contact/data management systems.
Work with the Congressional Affairs Director and oversee other team members.
Organize #HouseOfCode, the culminating celebration in the Spring.
Develop new models for growth in the areas of educational support and regional events such as hackathons and demo days.
SKILLS & QUALIFICATIONS
The most important quality a program manager must bring to the table, is a passion for addressing the tech talent gap, and promoting equity and equality in the tech community.
Required Skills & Qualifications:
Several years experience managing complex projects.
An entrepreneurial spirit and startup mentality.
Relentless attention to detail and effective time-management skills.
A commitment to social equity and diversity efforts.
A data-driven, metrics-oriented mindset.
Fundraising experience.
Media experience; pitching press releases, op-eds, and more.
Clear and concise communications skills, oral and written.
Some familiarity with Computer Science (coding skills a plus).
Preferred Qualifications:
Experience with WordPress, HTML, and CSS.
Experience with CRMs and email marketing programs. (We use Salesforce and Mailchimp.)
Experience with database development and management.
Non-profit or Capitol Hill experience.
Experience hosting hackathons, demo days, or coding competitions.
Experience with computer science education strongly preferred.
A Graduate Degree in public policy, business administration, computer science, or related fields.
Launched in late 2015, the Congressional App Challenge operates in the intersection of Congressional politics, technology policy, and 21st century workforce development. The program is a joint effort between the Internet Education Foundation and the House of Representatives. Aimed at inspiring students across America to pursue computer science and coding skills, IEF coordinates and supports the execution of regional app challenges hosted by the Members of Congress from July through late October/early November.
Winners are announced in December during Computer Science Education Week, and the Challenge concludes with #HouseOfCode, a reception and demo day held in Washington DC in the spring, which student from around the country travel to, to showcase their award-winning apps.
The CAC mission is to inspire, include, and innovate efforts around STEM, coding, and computer science education:
Inspire: To inspire students from every corner of the country to explore STEM, coding and computer science through hands-on practice;
Include: To actively include and engage students from communities that are traditionally underrepresented in the tech community; and
Innovate: To innovate policymaking by connecting Members of Congress to new and emerging technologies through personal interactions with their student constituents.
In two cycles, the CAC has executed 239 successful challenges, and has grown to a point that now requires an experienced project manager to take the program to the next level.
On Monday and Tuesday, April 3-4, the Internet Education Foundation was proud to host two days of programming as part of #HouseOfCode, a celebration of the 2016 Congressional App Challenge winners.
The 2016 CAC winners started Tuesday, April 4 by attending “Computer Science, Coding, and Beyond: Career Options in the Tech Community,”a program hostedby Microsoft at their Innovation and Policy Center.
Allyson Knox, Microsoft’s Director of Education Policy, welcomed the students and introduced keynote speaker Representative Suzan DelBene. The Congresswoman spoke to the students about her experience working in both tech and policy realms, and encouraged them to make a difference in the world by pursuing their passions. The Congresswoman’s speech was followed by a panel of tech professionals, moderated by Austin Carson (Executive Director, TechFreedom), and featuring panelists Rachel Bittner (Engineer, Spotify), Clara Tsao (Presidential Innovation Fellow), and Matt Legend (CEO of Legend). (Check out the video, here! Skip ahead to the 22 minute mark to get to the programming.) After leaving Microsoft, the students and their families headed to Capitol Hill to visit the Capitol Building display that features the CAC-winning apps.
The programming culminated with #HouseOfCode, a Demo Day and Reception held in theRayburn Foyer on Capitol Hill (generously sponsored by Intel), where the students presented the incredible apps that won their district’s Congressional App Challenge. #HouseOfCode featured students from 51 Congressional Districts and 22 states. 37 Members of Congress attended, in support of their students and the Congressional App Challenge.
Over 500 supporters of computer science education attended #HouseOfCode in total. Guests heard remarks from the CAC Executive Director, the Congressional Internet Caucus Co-Chairs, and several of the past, present and future CAC Congressional Co-Chairs. Reps. Ed Royce and Seth Moulton announced their successors: Reps. Ileana Ros-Lehtinen (FL-27) and Rep. Tim Ryan (OH-13) will serve as the co-chairs of the 2017 Congressional App Challenge! The speakers included:
In less than two years, the Congressional App Challenge has reached nearly 4,000 students in 33 states. Congressional offices have hosted 239 successful challenges, and received the submission of nearly 1200 original, student-coded apps. The success of the Congressional App Challenge has been made possible thanks to the widespread bipartisan congressional support for the program, and thanks to the generosity of our sponsors and partners.
#HouseOfCode was made possible by the generous support of these sponsors:
Thank you to all who supported #HouseOfCode and the Congressional App Challenge!
Demo Day on the Hill Honors Congressional App Challenge Winners: For one day, the House of Representatives becomes the #HouseOfCode
WASHINGTON, D.C.― From 4:30 – 7:30 PM on April 4, 2017, more than 120 Representatives and their 2016 Congressional App Challenge student winners will be honored at #HouseOfCode, a reception and demo day held in the Rayburn Foyer.
In 2016, 123 Members of Congress participated in the second annual Congressional App Challenge (CAC) and inspired over 2,100 students to compete in their coding competitions. Students from 33 states submitted 650 original apps, covering an incredible range of topics and purposes; they created apps to give guidance during medical emergencies, sign-language translators, political news, and more. The apps these students created reflect the creativity, imagination and talent tomorrow’s STEM workforce is capable of, when given opportunity and encouragement. The winning app from each district has been put on display in the Capitol’s Cannon Tunnel, and can also be found on house.gov and the Congressional App Challenge website (CongressionalAppChallenge.us).
The CAC has shown itself to be one of the most bipartisan efforts on the Hill, with Members of all political stripes hosting district-wide competitions to encourage their student constituents to learn how to code. These Members recognize how crucial coding skills are for America’s economic future and hosted the CAC to give their constituents an opportunity to take part in that future. Right now, there are over a half million unfilled computer jobs in the U.S. Even with average salaries of more than $100,000 per year, the number of roles requiring coding skills is growing much faster than the number of students learning them. By participating in the CAC, Members are personally taking steps to address that gap.
#HouseOfCode will honor the efforts of these Members and their winners. Nearly 100 students from across the country will travel to DC to participate and demo their work. Remarks will be given by several Members of Congress and the newly selected 2017 Congressional Co-chairs will be announced. Light refreshments will be served as the students demo their winning apps to their Representatives, congressional staff, and the community. This event is open to the public and the press.
WHAT: #HouseOfCode – Demo Day and Reception WHEN: 4:30 – 7:30 PM, Tuesday, April 4 WHERE: Rayburn Foyer, Rayburn House Office Building
Rep. Bob Goodlatte (VA-06), Co-Chair of the Internet Caucus, Inaugural CAC Co-Chair
Rep. Anna G. Eshoo (CA-18), Co-Chair of the Internet Caucus, Inaugural CAC Co-Chair
2016 Recognition & Announcement of 2017 Congressional Co-Chairs (6:00 PM)
Rep. Ed Royce (CA-39), Co-Chair of the 2016 Congressional App Challenge
Rep. Seth Moulton (MA-06), Co-Chair of the 2016 Congressional App Challenge
The 2016 CAC was made possible by the generous support of our sponsors: Amazon Web Services, Capital One, Intel, Microsoft, the United Parcel Service, CA Technologies, and the Business Software Alliance.
For more information about #HouseOfCode, please visit: https://houseofcode.splashthat.com/
For more information about the Congressional App Challenge and the student winners, please visit our website.
For questions regarding the program or this event, please contact Rhianon Anderson, at [email protected] or at (650) 302-1799
# # #
About the Congressional App Challenge
The Congressional App Challenge is an initiative that encourages students across the country to learn how to code by participating in district-wide competitions, hosted by Members of Congress.
The program was created in partnership by the Internet Education Foundation and the Congressional Internet Caucus, and officially launched in 2015 with three goals: (1) to inspire students from every corner of the country to explore STEM, coding and computer science through hands-on practice; (2) to actively include and engage students from communities that are traditionally underrepresented in the tech community; and (3) to innovate policymaking by connecting Members of Congress to new and emerging technologies through personal interactions with their student constituents.
In the first 2 years of the program, 239 challenges have been successfully executed across 33 states. More than 1,150 apps were submitted by nearly 4,000 students, and participation demographics surpassed all industry diversity metrics, with young women representing 30% of all competitors.
The Internet Education Foundation is hosting a Google Policy Fellow this summer. We’re looking for amazing candidates to work on any of our projects. More information about this year’s fellowship can be found in this Google post and on the Google Policy Fellowship Program page.
After six long, hard years of being away, I finally returned to Washington DC. No, one week-long trip in the eighth grade wasn’t enough. I knew I had to come back. Every moment leading up to this summer was exciting, from applying for internships to buying plane tickets. I honestly had a great time going through baggage claim.
