In September we launched Imagine Cup Junior 2021, a great opportunity for students aged 13-18 to learn about artificial intelligence (AI) and how it can be used for good. It has been fantastic to see educators from all over the world registering and getting their students involved in this global AI for Good challenge.

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The Microsoft Imagine Academy program provides educational institutions with access to a full curriculum solution for teaching technology courses and learning tools that help teachers gain technology skills, and helps students to achieve success through employability and industry certification. Imagine Cup is an annual competition sponsored and hosted by Microsoft Corp. Which brings together student developers worldwide to help resolve some of the world's toughest challenges. It is considered as 'Olympics of Technology' by computer science and engineering and is considered one of the top competitions and awards related to technology.

To bring the challenge to even more students, I am delighted to share details of the AI webinar and hackathon series to help students on their journey and teach them everything they need to know to get involved in Imagine Cup Junior. The series will start right at the basics, guiding students on what AI is, where it already exists in the world around them, how it can be used for good, and inspiring students to become inventors of the future. The webinars will conclude with virtual hackathons where students can build out their projects ready for submission.

Educators, instructors, parents, and guardians can register to take part in Imagine Cup Junior. The webinars and hackathons will supplement the resource kit (educator guides, student guides, lesson plans, hackathon kits, and more made available upon registration) and will be hosted on Microsoft Teams. The dates and times are below and join links can be found here.

And to support educators interested in bringing Imagine Cup Junior to their students, we are providing a webinar for educators on December 1, 2020 at 8:30 AM and 6:30 PM Pacific Time. This will take educators through our resources, share how to get started, and answer any questions about the challenge. The join links can be found here.

As a reminder, students aged 13-18 can take part in Imagine Cup Junior, individually or in teams of up to six, by developing an AI concept based on Microsoft’s AI for Good initiatives. These include AI for Humanitarian Action, AI for Earth, AI for Cultural Heritage, AI for Accessibility, and AI for Health.

Registration closes on May 21, 2021, and in June 2021 Microsoft will be proud to recognize the top ten ideas globally and celebrate students’ achievement with an Imagine Cup Junior trophy and group mentorship sessions. To ensure the privacy of students, all submissions must be made by educators, instructors, parents, or guardians on behalf of their students.

Challenge rules and regulations can be found here.

Register today and empower students to truly change the world. I can’t wait to see their innovation and ideas!

The Microsoft Imagine Academy (MSIA) program provides technology courses, teaching resources, and related benefits aligned to in-demand workforce and career skills. MSIA is available as a skills benefit for Microsoft Academic Volume License Agreement customers.

Resources to help you get started

All Imagine Academy educational resources are available through the MSIA Member Site. To help you get started, we've created this Quick Start Site with educator first steps, benefit information, training videos, support links, and success stories about how the resources are being used to positively impact students' lives around the globe.

Educator First Steps

Get the steps and recommended strategies to make the most of the MSIA resources

Training

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Program Benefits

Learn about the valuable resources available through the Imagine Academy program

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