Microsoft launches Imagine Cup Junior with endorsement from Ministry of Education, extends deadline for AI for Good Challenge

Minister Dullas Alahapperuma (L) and Microsoft Country Manager Hasitha Abeywardena (R)

Microsoft recently unveiled a global student competition in Sri Lanka, encouraging youth between the ages of 13 to 18 to learn about technology and how it can be used to positively change the world. The company extended the deadline for submissions from April 17 to June 12 in a bid to support students and allow more teams to participate.

Imagine Cup Junior 2020 will introduce students to AI for Good, a program designed by Microsoft to identify practical applications of AI to advance the sustainable development goals, and scale those solutions for global impact. The global student competition has been endorsed by the Sri Lankan Ministry of Education.

“We commend Microsoft for bringing their global Imagine Cup Junior program to Sri Lanka,” said Dullas Alahapperuma, Minister of Education, Sports and Youth Affairs. “The competition can create excitement and energy among students and educators by giving them opportunities to use technology to solve real-world problems. The program will also serve as a means to improve quality of reading material and teacher training.” 
The introduction of the Imagine Cup Junior challenge will now enable younger students to learn about technology and come up with ideas for improving the world around them.  The competition will encourage them to team up and use their creativity, passion and knowledge of technology to create applications that shape how we live, work and play. 

“At Microsoft, our mission is to empower every person on the planet to achieve more,” said Hasitha Abeywardena, Country Manager, Microsoft Sri Lanka & Maldives. “By introducing students in Sri Lanka to our Imagine Cup – AI for Good Challenge, we can expand the scope of IT in secondary education and give them the tools and opportunities they need to be the change-makers of tomorrow.”

A team from Sri Lanka were joint winners at the Imagine Cup 2018 South East Asia qualifier, demonstrating what can be accomplished when aspiration, innovation and technology come together to solve societal problems. The team developed a sustainable farming app that leverages contextual information and delivers actionable insights in real-time.  

The goal of the competition is to create excitement and energy among students and educators by giving them the opportunity to use AI to solve real-world problems. Working with mentors and industry leaders, students get feedback to further hone and develop their projects. To register or learn more, visit https://imaginecup.microsoft.com/en-us/junior.