Dear Friend,
Last week, I hosted a hackathon for local high school students as part of the Congressional App Competition, a program to encourage innovation and computer science education. The event allowed students to work on their Congressional App Challenge projects and hear feedback from technology experts at the University of Washington Bothell before next month’s submission deadline.
With roughly 10 million jobs expected to be in science, technology, engineering and math (STEM) fields by 2022 – half of which will be in computer technology – the future of our nation and its economy depend on the next generations being able to think outside of the box. As someone who worked in the technology sector before coming to Congress, I know firsthand that innovation requires creative, entrepreneurial leaders.
Ensuring students have access to computer science learning opportunities like this is critical to preparing them for the careers of tomorrow. That’s why I helped introduce the Computer Science for All Act (H.R. 6095) to authorize grants to help schools expand students’ access to learning opportunities in computer science. I also led a letter signed by 65 House members in calling for a $100 million investment in computer science education.
If you know a high school student who is interested in coding, feel free to tell them about the Congressional App Challenge. It’s open to all students in grades 9-12 and the deadline to participate is November 2. More information can be found at my website.
As always, my office is here to serve you. If you have questions or comments about the topics that matter most to you, I encourage you to contact me through my website. You may also keep up-to-date on what I’m doing by following me on social media. If you need assistance dealing with a federal agency, such as the IRS or the VA, please do not hesitate to contact my Bothell office at (425) 485-0085.
Sincerely,
Suzan
