Happy Earth Day! Here at Microsoft headquarters in Redmond Washington, we are celebrating Earth Day today along with much of the northern hemisphere. The Imagine Cup team is hard at work preparing for the World Finals in Paris where we will showcase how our student competitors met the challenge of this year's theme: "Imagine a world where technology enables a sustainable environment."
Imagine Cup featured on new Microsoft Environment Web Site!
Wherever you live, we hope you'll take some time to think about how we can each contribute to creating a sustainable environment for generations to come. A great place to start is by exploring the new Microsoft Environment Web site. Learn about the many ways you can reduce your environmental impact, from recycling electronics to reducing energy consumption. Find out about the issues, and learn what you can do to make a difference. And be sure to check out the feature article on the Imagine Cup and how this year's theme is inspiring students around the world to use technology to improve the lives of millions of people.
2008 Competition Update
Good news: It's still not too late to compete in Imagine Cup 2008. Although Round 1 has closed for seven invitationals, three Awards as well as the Photography invitational are still accepting new entries. Don't delay! In addition to helping the environment you might win a trip to the 2008 World Finals in France this summer as well as other valuable prizes.
Worldwide Software Design Competition
The Software Design Competition is still open; however some countries have already held their local semi-final competitions. For those countries remaining, all local finals will conclude by late May. Students who hope to represent their countries or regions in the Software Design category at the World Finals must meet the deadlines and requirements of their local Microsoft subsidiary. A full list of the countries hosting Software Design teams is posted on the Imagine Cup web site. Find your local Software Design Web Site.
Two Software Design Awards Accepting Online Entries Until May 15
The Software Design Interoperability Award and the Software Design Windows Live Award are both run in online format, and are open to ALL software design competitors, regardless of whether your country is hosting a local Software Design semi-final. You can still apply for either or both Awards even if you did not compete in or win your regional software design semi-final. These Awards follow many of the same criteria as the worldwide Software Design competition, but students must incorporate specific technology requirements into their solutions. The Windows Live and Interoperability teams at Microsoft will judge the entries and the winning teams will be sent to Paris to be honored at the World Finals from July 3-8 and be eligible for additional prizes. Detailed requirements, judging criteria, and prizes are posted at the following links:
Interface Design Accessible Technology Award Accepting Online Entries Until May 2
The Accessible Technology Award is designed to recognize the user interface solution that best leverages the capabilities of Microsoft products and blends them with other technologies to connect people, data, or diverse systems in a new way. This Award follows many of the same criteria as the overall Interface Design competition, but students must incorporate Accessible Technology into their solutions. The Accessible Technology team at Microsoft will judge the entries and the winning team will be sent to Paris to be honored at the World Finals from July 3-8 and be eligible for additional prizes.
Detailed requirements, judging criteria, and prizes are posted at the following link: http://imaginecup.com/Competition/AccessibilityAward.aspx
Photography Round 1 Accepting Entries Until May 2
This year's Photography competition invites students to capture a series of still photos that tell a story and draw an emotional response from their audience. The photo essay should provoke thought and discussion and inspire the audience to take further action to create a sustainable environment. For detailed requirements, visit the Photography Invitational page: http://imaginecup.com/Competition/mycompetitionportal.aspx?competitionId=16.
Round 2 Closes May 2 for Seven Online Invitationals
Round 2 of the following competitions closes on May 2: Embedded Development, Game Development, Project Hoshimi Programming Battle, Algorithm, Information Technology, Interface Design, and Short Film. A full list of the teams competing in Round 2 is posted on the Imagine Cup Leaderboards. Teams who advanced to Round 2 are indicated by a dot in the "Advanced" column next to the team name.
Looking Ahead: The Imagine Cup World Finals in Paris
A full list of the World finalist teams in all invitationals will be announced on http://imaginecup.com/ May 24, 2008. You'll be able to view team profiles on the Imagine Cup web site and learn more about how each team's project addresses the 2008 theme of "Imagine a world where technology enables a sustainable environment." We've already been deeply impressed by the creativity, imagination, and vision of the projects we reviewed in Round 1, and we can't wait to share our Finalist stories with you!
The Imagine Cup 2008 World Finals will take place in Paris France from July 3-8, 2008. Watch our preview video to see what's in store for the 2008 World Finalists!
Thanks for your interest in the Imagine Cup. We hope you will check the Imagine Cup Web site for updates in the coming weeks and will continue the journey to this year's World Finals in Paris with us. Happy Earth Day!
The Imagine Cup 2008 Team
