Washington, D.C. | April 21–22, 2026
The ESC Club proudly celebrates its Congressional App Challenge (CAC) student winners who traveled to Washington, D.C. to participate in the prestigious House of Code 2026, held at the United States Capitol.
Representing California’s CA-52 Congressional District, the ESC Club student team showcased their award-winning app developed using the MIT App Inventor platform—demonstrating innovation, technical excellence, and a deep commitment to community impact.
A National Stage for Student Innovation
House of Code is the official national showcase of the Congressional App Challenge, bringing together top student innovators from across the United States. This year’s event featured over 150 winning teams presenting their apps directly to Members of Congress, industry leaders, and STEM advocates.
ESC Club students had the honor of engaging with California’s U.S. Senators, Alex Padilla and Adam Schiff, sharing their work and discussing the importance of expanding access to STEM education for diverse and underserved communities.
The team also reunited with Raul Ruiz during a visit to his Congressional office alongside fellow CAC winners from CA-25, reinforcing ongoing collaboration across Southern California districts.
Three Years, Three Districts, One Mission
Over the past three years, ESC Club has proudly represented multiple Congressional districts at House of Code, including:
- CA-51 – represented by Sara Jacobs
- CA-25 – represented by Raul Ruiz
- CA-52 – represented by Juan Vargas
This continued presence highlights ESC Club’s sustained leadership in youth innovation, STEM outreach, and Congressional App Challenge advocacy across the region.
Powered by Community, Inspired by Impact
A standout moment of the event was seeing Qualcomm represented on the national stage. ESC Club shared its excitement in recognizing the many “Q Coders” within its community—including student participants whose families are part of Qualcomm’s workforce.
Advocating for Border and Global STEM Access
During the trip, ESC Club Founder Alex Tang also took the opportunity to advocate for expanded access to the Congressional App Challenge for students living along the U.S.–Mexico border and those from military families stationed abroad.
Building on years of cross-border STEM education work, ESC Club continues to champion inclusive pathways for students from multicultural and underrepresented communities.
Looking Ahead: Expanding Impact in 2026
Following the success of House of Code, ESC Club is advancing several new initiatives:
- Southern California CAC Expansion Initiative (LA → San Diego → U.S.–Mexico border region)
- Summer STEM Day Workshops with CAC-winning teams(Target CA25 district)
- Navy Family STEM Workshops supporting military-connected students
- GYRI Forum – July 18, 2026, bringing together educators, industry leaders, and policymakers
Media Contact:
ESC Club Communications Team: info@escedu.org
