Ready to get started on your Maine App Challenge submission? See below for resources to help build your app, understand the judging criteria, access Innovation Workshops from the University of Maine’s Foster Center for Innovation, and more!
Provides levels of specific information in an intuitive and easy-to-use interface
Example: Holosport (2025 submission) This app was designed to help athletes learn and improve a variety of new skills without a coach.
Provides a service to the user based on a real-world need or scope of needs
Example: Peachy (2025 submission) Peachy is a self-care app that offers guided breathing, affirmations, and other wellness resources.
Entertains the user while providing some sort of competition
Example: Trash on Everest (2025 submission) This app is a retro-styled platformer where users climb Mount Everest to clean the environment.
App Lab is a programming environment by Code.org used to make mobile apps. It allows you to build applications using drag-and-drop code blocks or to code directly in JavaScript. Their website has instructional videos and sample applications.Get started with App Lab.
MIT App Inventor 2 is a visual programming tool that guides you through building an app. It has a drag-and-drop interface allowing you to arrange elements such as screens, buttons, text, and more. MIT App Inventor 2 also comes with its own Android emulator, so you can test the app from your computer before loading it on a mobile device.
As a demonstration, Tyler developed a simple Tic-Tac-Toe game for the purpose of exploring and learning how to use MIT App Inventor 2.
Download MIT App Inventor 2, the sample project, and watch the demonstration video to get started using the MIT App Inventor 2.
Brainstorming, Protyping, Testing, Pitching
Learn More about the Center