Dear Neighbor,
I hope that you and your loved ones had a relaxing summer and an easy transition back to school! With students back in the classroom, I want to take the chance to remind you of some of the exciting opportunities available to students here in Virginia’s 11th District.
Service Academy Nominations
For over two hundred years, the United States Service Academies have educated some of our nation’s finest leaders. Here in the 11th District, I am proud to say the acceptance rate into the academies is routinely among the highest in the nation. Nominating young Americans for an appointment to a service academy is among my most gratifying duties as a Member of Congress.
Applications for the Class of 2028 are being accepted by my District Office, and must be received by close of business, Friday October 6, 2023. Fully completed applications should be emailed to: VA11academyinbox@gmail.com.
To assist me with selecting the most qualified candidates, I have formed Advisory Boards to interview prospective nominees. These boards are comprised of Academy graduates, former Academy admissions officers and/or career military officers. These interviews will be scheduled between mid-October and early December. Interviews will be scheduled only for those who have submitted complete application packages by the deadline.
You can visit the Academy Nominations page on my website for more information. Please click here for my Congressional Nomination Procedures, and here for the Application for Nomination.
I wish you the very best as you pursue a nomination to an Academy and begin your career as an officer in a branch of our military. If you have any questions, please contact my District Office at 703-256-3071.
Congressional App Challenge
This competition is open to all middle and high school students who live in the 11th Congressional District, regardless of where they attend school. Public, private, and home-schooled students are all invited to participate, and I encourage anyone interested to submit an entry.
This challenge offers middle and high school students interested in coding a chance to develop and demonstrate their skills and interests in computer science and STEM. Congress recognizes that investments in STEM education, particularly in subjects pertaining to coding and computer science, are essential to America’s continued economic growth and technological innovation.
The deadline to apply is November 1. This is a great opportunity for young coders to compete against their peers by creating an application (also known as an “app”) for desktop/PC, web, tablet, mobile, raspberry Pi, or other devices. We accept any programming language, such as C, C++, Java, JavaScript, Python, Ruby, or "block code." There are no limits on application theme or topic.
We have a team of judges with a wealth of coding experience who will evaluate the student submissions and choose a winning individual or team. For additional details, please visit www.CongressionalAppChallenge.us.
How to enter and rules:
- Students can enter the 2023 Congressional App Challenge now by clicking here.
- Students may register as individuals or in teams of up to four. No more than four students are allowed to form a team.
- Students may compete in the district where they reside or the district in which they attend school.
- To be eligible to participate in the Congressional App Challenge, applicants must be in middle or high school at the time of app submission.
- Students can use any programming language (example: C, C++, JavaScript, Python, Ruby, “block code,” etc.) and any platform (PC, web, tablet, robot, mobile, etc.).
- Find the complete rule book and guidelines by clicking: 2023 CAC Rulebook
- The Congressional App Challenge also has compiled a Learn To Code list of resources to assist participants in their efforts.
Congressional Art Competition
Though this event will not take place until Spring of 2024, I want to take this opportunity to bring the Congressional Art Competition to your attention as well. This competition is open to all high school students who are residents of the 11th Congressional District, regardless of where they attend school. Public, private, and home-schooled students are all invited to participate, and I encourage any student who may be interested to submit an entry.
I look forward to hosting this event every year, as it affords students in our district the opportunity to showcase their artistic talent and creativity. Students do not need to create a new piece of art specifically for this competition – they are welcome to submit any piece from their portfolio. Past years’ competitions have included paintings, photographs, drawings, digital art, and more.
The winning piece will be displayed at the U.S. Capitol for one year, and with the permission of the artists, additional high-ranking pieces will be displayed in my Capitol Hill and district offices.
Individual arrangements will be made for the collection of the Best in Show piece to be transported to DC. Only the winning piece will be required to meet the established framing guidelines.
I am grateful for the opportunity to offer young constituents these opportunities to express themselves, to create something new, and to pursue ever-higher accomplishments. If you have any questions or concerns, or if you need assistance, please do not hesitate to call us at (703) 256-3071.
