We describe a novel approach in running a distributed high school programming contest in our state. Although initially the contest took place at Saint Anselm College in Manchester, NH, in our nine year experience, as more schools asked to join, we designed a “remote” contest to accommodate distant campuses. We describe our solution, share our experience with running it, and investigate ways to improve upon it. The aim is to excite more students to learn how to program and to start this process at the high school level. More interest in coding helps the computing discipline, regardless of its sub-field. It improves problem solving skills that are invaluable in information technology.
