Calling all students and young adults! Are you active in your local community or concerned about national issues? Microsoft’s third annual YouthSpark Challenge for Change is inviting youth aged 13-25 around the world to share their ideas for sparking change in their communities, schools, college campuses, or the world. Microsoft YouthSpark is part of Microsoft’s commitment to create education, employment and entrepreneurship opportunities for young people around the world.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-PQdMstv2w0
The Challenge asks socially conscious young people to consider how Microsoft technology can help them do more and achieve more, and then submit their ideas between now and March 25, 2015. Microsoft will choose 15 finalists from each age group (13-17 and 18-25) to win a Surface Pro 3 with Office 365. Five grand prize winners from each age group will go on to win:
- An amazing leadership development trip to Nicaragua learn about creating change
- $2,500 cash to help turn their ideas into a reality
- A Microsoft Windows Phone
- The opportunity to serve as a Microsoft YouthSpark Advocate for the year
One of last year’s winners, Juan Carlos Murillo, a research assistant at MIT, submitted a proposal to get young people in his native Mexico more interested in computers and electronics engineering, subjects they get minimal exposure to in the public schools. His project, Sin Miedo a la Corriente (No Fear of Current), was designed to remove the fear of the unknown and open up new possibilities for Mexican youth.
So if you know a high-school or college student or young graduate who’s got some great ideas about solving Boston’s traffic issues, or increasing U.S. election turnout, or helping developing countries prepare for changing weather patterns, or more, point them to the Challenge. Entering is simple: they can just submit their ideas to Microsoft YouthSpark and answer a few questions for a chance to get recognition, funding, and a platform to turn their vision into action.
To learn more about Microsoft’s commitment to youth and education, visit our YouthSpark Hub or follow us on twitter at @msftcitizenship.
