Virginia Mobile Learning Apps Development Challenge

Is this a valuable activity that we all should emulate in some fashion across the country?

Secretary of Technology Aneesh Chopra, in collaboration with the Virginia Department of Education, is issuing a challenge for developers to produce mobile learning applications that engage middle school students in mathematics.

What value is there in programming? Do you learn any skills from programming that crosses over to other areas of learning?

http://lwbva.org/applications.cfm