I just started working as the only high school intern with Internet Education Foundation in Washington D.C., the official coordinator of the Congressional App Challenge!
The Internet Education Foundation is a 501(c)(3) non-profit organization supported by public interest groups, corporations, and associations representative of the diversity of the Internet community. The IEF Mission is to:
- Assure informed policymaking on Internet-related issues within both government and the private sector
- Promote the Internet as a valuable medium for democratic participation, communications, and commerce
- Encourage coalitions of corporations, industry associations, and public interest groups to work together on addressing important Internet-related policy issues and engaging in educational outreach projects
The Congressional App Challenge (CAC) is a public effort to encourage kids to learn how to code, through annual district-wide competitions hosted by Members of Congress for their district. The CAC’s 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.
Info from http://www.neted.org/about/ and http://www.congressionalappchallenge.us/about/