Verizon’s App Challenge, a nationwide contest that challenges students to develop concepts for mobile apps that solve a problem in their community, has opened. The deadline for submissions is Nov. 24.
The contest is open to students in grades six through 12, in teams of five to seven members. Each team must have an adult advisor.
The contest teaches collaboration, critical thinking, problem solving, and entrepreneurship, as well as science, technology, engineering and math skills and coding. Its goal is to equip students with skills needed to succeed in the jobs of the future.
Teams do not have to build an app to enter the Challenge. The concept submission will be evaluated on how well it is researched and presented to the panel of judges. Teams that win at the national level will learn coding from MIT experts, who will travel to a school to provide in-person training, as well as additional virtual training, to get the app ready to launch.
“Best in state” winning teams will be named; they will receive a $5,000 grant for their school or non-profit sponsored program and mobile tablets for every team member. “Best in Nation” teams will receive an additional $15,000 grant for their school or out-of-school program, and in-person coding training from MIT experts, plus an all-expenses-paid trip for each team member and a parent/guardian next summer to the 2016 National Technology Student Association Conference in Nashville, Tennessee.
Information on registration, rules and requirements, timelines, and details of past winners is available online.