Barrington High Students Win Congressional App Challenge

From the Office of U.S. Congressman David N. Cicilline: U.S. Congressman David N. Cicilline (RI-1) announced the 2017 winners of the Congressional App Challenge for the First District of Rhode Island during a visit to Barrington High School’s AP Computer Science class. Shiyuan Huang and Ariadne Dulchinos, Barrington High School students, were recognized for designing and building the educational gaming app,EarthSmart. He presented the winning students with citations on behalf of the United States House of Representatives and spoke with them, as well as the entire AP Computer Science Class, about the importance of computer science for Rhode Island’s economy.

A video preview of EarthSmart is available online here.

“I am so proud to congratulate these two exceptional Rhode Island high school students for winning the 2017 Congressional App Challenge. Their app is not only an impressive demonstration of their coding capabilities, but its focus on educating the public about recycling, composting and energy saving exemplifies the unique capabilities of STEM technology to make a difference in our state.”

“All Rhode Islanders should have the opportunity to learn the skills they need to secure a good-paying job. That’s why I am committed to working with my colleagues to expand federal support for public and higher education, workforce development and job training. In a high-tech economy, these investments are essential to ensuring that Rhode Islanders are able to get ahead.”

The Congressional App Challenge, coordinated by the Congressional Internet Caucus and the Internet Education Foundation, is a competition aimed at encouraging U.S. high school students to learn how to code by creating their own applications. The Challenge is intended to highlight the value of computer science and STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering and Math) education and encourage students to engage in these fields. By encouraging and recognizing our nation’s young programming talent, Congress hopes to shine a light on the growing importance of these skills.

Images courtesy of the Office of U.S. Congressman David N. Cicilline