During the first semester of the 2021-2022 school year, high school students Drew, Steviey, and Dajah from An Achievable Dream Middle and High School in Newport News, competed in the 2021 Congressional App Challenge, with the assistance of Kyle Thompson from NASA. The Congressional App Challenge is a competition aimed at encouraging high school students to learn how to code, hosted by members of Congress from their district.

Just before the holidays, Congressman Bobby Scott held the 2021 Congressional App Challenge Reception and Awards Ceremony via Zoom. He spoke briefly to students and guests about the importance of STEM and the direction our nation will take in the near future with STEM jobs and opportunities leading the way. All contestants were introduced and their app was shown, along with the video they submitted explaining the purpose of their team’s app.

Dr. Tina Manglicmot, Chief Academic Officer for Newport News Public Schools, praised our students for their contributions to the challenge. “I applaud all three of you for your creativity, coding skills, and presentation skills. I also encourage all three of you to stay this course as our community, both locally and nationally, needs creative coding minds.”

Our team earned third place in the challenge and received a NASA goodie bag filled with educational supplies, a Congressional Recognition Certificate, and a photo with Congressman Scott.

We are incredibly proud of them!