May 13, 2014

Kilmer Congratulates the 2014 STEM App Challenge Winner

WASHINGTON, D.C. - Today, Representative Derek Kilmer announced that Adam Hammou from Poulsbo is the winner of the first annual Congressional Science, Technology, Engineering and Math (STEM) Academic Competition, “The House STEM App Challenge.” Adam, a homeschool student from Poulsbo, submitted an application which allows a player to keep track of which pieces are off the board in a game of chess. 

"Congratulations to Adam Hammou for his creative chess app.  The app Adam created was innovative and provides yet one more way for my 8-year-old daughter to beat me in chess," said Representative Kilmer. "I join our terrific judges in thanking all of the students who participated in the House STEM App Challenge. It's great to see young students show interest and ability in the critical field of computer science.  We're going to depend on them to help America compete economically in the years ahead."

The House STEM App Challenge is designed to engage students’ creativity and encourage their participation in STEM education fields. Local high school students competed against other students in the 6th Congressional District by creating and exhibiting a software application or “app” for mobile, tablet, or desktop computer.

Adam submitted videos showing the application and what he learned in the process.  Using an application development tool called AppInventor to create his model, Adam integrated 3D models of the chess pieces with sound effects he recorded using the audio software Audacity.  Adam impressed the contest judges with a high degree of technical expertise in creating the app. The judges of the contest were Jodi Carson, MESA Program Director at Olympic College, Steven Vincent, Project Manager with The Informatics Applications Group, and Andrew Fry, Assistant Director of Industry Partners / Lecturer at UW Tacoma’s Institute of Technology. 

Adam’s app design will be put on display on the House of Representatives website – here is the video he created which demonstrates the app: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qlQXjImwuig

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