Broadcom Foundation advances Digital and AI Literacy through the Congressional App Challenge
Broadcom Foundation's national sponsorship of the Congressional App Challenge connects young coders with Broadcom Inc. leaders, Members of Congress, and local communities working to build a better future.
Digital and AI Literacy are critical 21st Century+ skills that all young people need to compete for highly skilled jobs in emerging industries built on technologies of the future. emerging industries built on technologies of the future. Through national sponsorship, local engagement, and direct participation from Broadcom Inc. leaders, Broadcom Foundation helps young people connect coding and AI with community problem-solving, civic engagement, and future STEM pathways.
Through sponsorship of the Congressional App Challenge, Broadcom Foundation encourages young people to use coding and AI skills in computer applications that address real-world challenges.
The Congressional App Challenge brings this mission to the national stage at the United States Capitol in Washington D.C. Hosted by Members of the U.S. House of Representatives; the national reach of the Congressional App Challenge reinforces the value of Broadcom Foundation’s sponsorship. 13,830 young people from across the United States participated in the Congressional App Challenge. 4,650 original apps were submitted, and more than 56% of submitted apps incorporated AI, resulting in more than 360 finalists from 48 states being invited to travel to Washington D.C. and participate in the April 2026 #HouseofCode.
The #HouseOfCode 2026 brings congressional district winners together from across the country to demonstrate their apps, meet Members of Congress, and connect with like-minded peers. Their projects manifested the future of technology in action, with apps focused on accessibility, health, education, civic engagement, and other real-world challenges.
Young people need opportunities to build, test, present, and explain technology in environments that give them time to explore their own ideas. The Congressional App Challenge extends that approach by giving youth a public platform for applying coding and AI to problems they care about.
Broadcom Foundation’s leadership was visible from the opening moments of #HouseofCode. Paula Golden, President of Broadcom Foundation, welcomed the young people and introduced Speaker Emerita Nancy Pelosi, whose remarks underscored the importance of STEM education, coding, and AI at the highest levels of national leadership.
Leadership from Broadcom Inc. joined foundation executives at #HouseOfCode 2026 to celebrate the innovation and ingenuity of the 300+ middle and high school participants. Joan Stone, Broadcom Inc. Vice President of Global Marketing, joined Golden, with Congressman Derek Tran of California’s 45th Congressional District and his district Congressional App Challenge winner, Vedant Kharul. The moment brought together a national STEM platform and a regional young innovator whose winning app earned him the opportunity to represent Orange County, California, on Capitol Hill.
Broadcom Inc. Head of U.S. Federal Government Relations Rachelle Celebreeze joined Paula Golden; Maria Wronski, CFO of Broadcom Foundation; Cheryl Braun, Assistant Director for STEM Advancement; and Congressional App Challenge Director Joseph Alessi at the Broadcom Coder Connect Reception. The foundation-sponsored reception gave winners time to meet peers from other districts, exchange ideas, and build relationships beyond their home communities.
“The Broadcom Coder Connect Reception is an important element of the Congressional App Challenge,” noted Golden, “Coding is not merely a technical skill. It is an essential tool with which young people communicate ideas, build networks, and design innovations of the future. Sharing their passion and interests with their peers is an invaluable take-away from the Challenge.”
One participant described the value of that connection simply: “My day really started when I made my first new friend.” Another reflected on capturing photos together as a way of remembering the connections that began at #HouseOfCode.
Broadcom Foundation’s engagement continues this fall in Orange County, California and in Fort Collins, Colorado at two foundation-sponsored museums adjacent to Broadcom Inc. facilities. The National App Challenge Day, presented by Broadcom Foundation, will provide opportunities for youth in grades 7–12 to participate in hands-on training designed to help them take first steps in developing a computer application from concept to completion in time for the 2026 Congressional App Challenge where finalists will showcase their work in DC next spring. The Fort Collins event has yet to firm up its event date, but Orange County’s free half-day event takes place on Saturday, September 19, 2026, from 1:00 PM to 5:00 PM at Discovery Cube Orange County in Santa Ana, California. (Spots are limited. Register now for the CAC Bootcamp at bit.ly/CACinOC.
For those students who have an app they wish to enter into the competition, registration for the 2026 Congressional App Challenge is also open. Young people can register at congressionalappchallenge.us/students/student-registration.
ABOUT:
Broadcom Inc. is a technology leader that designs, develops, and supplies semiconductors and infrastructure software for global organizations’ complex, mission-critical needs. Broadcom combines long-term R&D investment with superb execution to deliver the best technology, at scale. Broadcom is a Delaware corporation headquartered in Palo Alto, CA.
Broadcom Foundation advocates basic coding and AI literacy as 21st Century+ skills to solve community problems that students care about that align with the 17 Sustainable Development Goals of the United Nations. Broadcom Foundation promotes digital literacy as the confident use of the full range of digital technologies, including basic knowledge of coding and AI, and provides a catalyst for students to learn basic coding and AI as essential problem-solving tools in STEM.
