FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Sept. 4, 2018
OMAHA – The AIM Institute is hosting an introductory level App Inventor workshop with special guest Rep. Don Bacon (NE-02) for middle school and high school students in preparation for the 2019 Congressional App Challenge (CAC). This free workshop will be held Saturday, September 7, from 10:00 a.m. to 12:00 p.m. on the seventh floor of the AIM Exchange Building at 1905 Harney St., Omaha, It is open to any student attending middle school or high school in Nebraska’s Second Congressional District.
The App Inventor workshop will help students learn the basic building blocks of coding mobile and computer-based applications. The workshop is one of the AIM Institute’s many educational initiatives designed to grow tomorrow’s tech talent workforce.
“It’s important to spark an early interest in STEM because technology interacts with everything in our daily lives, and its influence will only increase in the future,” said Erin Lasiter, Executive Director of the AIM Brain Exchange, which offers free technology education to youth.
“Moreover, jobs in technology are some of the highest paying jobs out there, which is especially important to help break the cycle of poverty that affects many of the youth in our community,” Lasiter added.
A stronger tech talent workforce is also good for business in Nebraska, making tech education a key interest of Rep. Bacon, who has been promoting the 2019 Congressional App Challenge since taking office.
“Getting our middle and high school students interested in STEM through a fun competitive challenge is exactly what will spur them to pursue a career in these fields,” said Rep. Bacon. “I’m thankful the AIM Institute is hosting this workshop to help students who want to participate in this challenge.”
The Congressional App Challenge is an annual coding competition held to inspire students to pursue careers in STEM. Contestants develop a unique software app for a mobile, web or other computer-based platform. Winners will be invited to attend the annual House of Code award ceremony and STEM convention held in Washington, D.C. and possibly receive other prizes.
To be eligible for the Congressional App Challenge, students must register and submit their completed apps by November 1, 2019 along with a short video demonstration.
Visit www.congressionalappchallenge.us for more details on the CAC, or contact Sam Ficenec at Sam.Ficenec@nullmail.house.gov or 402-938-0300.
To RSVP for Saturday’s event, visit https://baconaim.eventbrite.com.
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AIM Institute Media Contact: Erin Lasiter
Email: elasiter@nullaimsite1.wpenginepowered.com
Phone: 402-345-5025 ext. 126
Congressman Bacon Media Contact: Danielle Jensen
Email: danielle.jensen@nullmail.house.gov
Phone: 402-938-0300