Demo Days - Best Practices for Virtual and In-Person Events

Sep 19, 2026

Uploaded by McQueen

Demo Days are science-fair-style STEM symposia where students across a district meet and showcase final App Challenge projects for peers, educators, and STEM advocates. Guidance covers how to recognize App Challenge winners, include all participants, and optionally add keynote speakers or panels, whether held virtually or in person. Virtual best practices include using RSVP registration, encouraging family to tune in, arranging inspiring guest speakers, enabling student screen sharing, and supporting video or live app demonstrations. In-person guidance emphasizes local and CDC compliance, guest speaker panels and feedback, possible local media coverage, and promotion via social media graphics.

LanguageEnglish

CategoryPresentations

FormatPDF

Pages2

Reading Time1 min

AccessFree to download

Virtual Event Best Practices

Registration Form

Guest Speaker

Student Screen Sharing and Presentations

In-Person Event Best Practices

Local and CDC Guidelines

Panels, Feedback, and Media Coverage

Social Media Promotion and References

DEMO DAYS Members of Congress who have more than 10 submissions may host a Demo Day , a science-fair style symposium where students from across the District can meet one another and display their final projects for their peers , educators , and STEM advocates. Similar to the Constituent Commemoration events , a Demo Day is ideal for honoring the winners of the App Challenge and speaking about STEM education. It also has the benefit of including all of the Challenge participants for this district. Demo Days may also feature keynote speakers or panel discussions from the science and technology field , and can be held both virtually and in-person. Virtual Event Best Practices Registration Form: It would be helpful for your office to have some way of keeping track of who will be attending the ceremony. This can be as simple as a Google Form asking for an RSVP. Encourage family members to tune in during the event. Guest Speaker: A guest speaker delivering some inspiring words to your young constituents would be a very impactful conclusion of the challenge. Invite a local champion of STEM education, professional in tech, or any other inspiring mind from your district to congratulate your students on a job well done. Allow the students to screen share, so that they can present their apps and projects as efficiently as possible From \#HouseOfCode2020, Congressional AC competitor Jeremy Haber (CT-04) presents his app Nature Hero through a video. Students are also encouraged to present slides, or an actual live demonstration of their app. CONGRESSIONALAPPCHALLENGE. US In-Person Event Best Practices In-person events should only be held in accordance with local and CDC guidelines. Guest speakers can be invited to host a panel or discussion with the students, as well as provide feedback on the students’ projects. Below is an example of a Demo Day and Award Ceremony put on by Representative Ed Royce (CA-39) in 2017. Rep. Ed Royce used his demo day to showcase the apps created by the students for the App Challenge. In addition to the exhibit, they also hosted a STEM Panel with guest speakers Marc Fisher, CEO of Dogtown Media, Katie Lamkin a Software Engineer major at Chapman University, and Daniel Tenorio, a full-stack developer at CASEpeer, to discuss STEM opportunities. These events can also be covered by the local media, as they are a great way to recruit students for the next challenge and boost local involvement. Demo Days can also be combined with Award Ceremonies or Constituent Commemorations, as outlined here and as Rep.Ed Royce has done in this example. Promote your Demo Day on Social Media. Please refer to our Graphics page for example graphics, as well as here for sample texts and posts. For questions, please email [cad@congressionalappchallenge.us](cad@congressionalappchallenge.us). *Important Disclaimer: This is a reference for informational purposes only. This is created to display examples of what other MOCs have done. It is not meant asan event or ‘how-to’ template. Check in with House Administration Committee for specific guidelines on App Challenge events. CONGRESSIONALAPPCHALLENGE. US

FAQs

What is a Demo Day and who can host it?

Members of Congress with more than 10 submissions may host a Demo Day, a science-fair style symposium for students to display final projects.

What are recommended practices for a virtual Demo Day?

Use an RSVP registration approach (e.g., a Google Form), encourage families to tune in, invite an inspiring guest speaker, and allow students to screen share to present apps efficiently.

What guidelines should be followed for in-person Demo Days?

In-person events should follow local and CDC guidelines, and guest speakers can join panels or provide feedback on student projects.

Sep 19, 2026

Uploaded by McQueen