Of all the worlds in our vast universe, none matters more to us than Earth. Advances in space science have paid off right here at home, as the latest satellite imaging technology can not only bring us the surface of Pluto, but reveal the intricate complexities of Earth itself.
Students ages 9-18 worldwide are invited to explore this exciting and vital area of scientific research in Imagine Cup Earth, a new coding competition for students. Whether you have never coded before and would like to learn, or if you’re already studying coding and want to take on a new challenge, all skill levels are welcome to dream big, build creatively, and boldly bring your ideas to life.
Microsoft Imagine and NASA’s Jet Propulsion Laboratory are co-presenting this contest for students around the world. Every year, millions of students worldwide participate in Microsoft Imagine’s student-coding programs, ranging from young students using our free coding kits to code their first project in half an hour all the way to college students using our free Microsoft Azure student subscription to develop for the cloud. NASA brings an impressive array of publicly accessible content and data through their earth-science missions, using the vantage point of space to increase our understanding of our home planet, improve lives and safeguard our future. Together, we have created Imagine Cup Earth to inspire the next generation of thinkers, dreamers and future programmers to learn the basics of coding and explore the latest science about our precious home.
During our 2015-16 Imagine Cup Earth season, a total of 18 winning students will share $36,000 in prizes for their earth-science coding projects. Students who choose our Beginner category can create games, apps and simulations using Microsoft’s free learn-to-code tools, including Kodu Game Lab, Microsoft Touch Develop and Project Spark. More advanced students can create web apps using HTML5/CSS/Javascript, Python, or other web languages of their choice.
Students can get started by visiting our Imagine Cup Earth contest page to learn more about the requirements and read the official rules. Because school schedules vary from country to country around the world, Microsoft Imagine is providing three contest rounds each with their own deadlines and prizes. Students are welcome to compete in any or all of these as is most convenient for them – each round stands alone. All deadlines are given in Greenwich Mean Time (GMT).
First Round Deadline: 23:59 GMT December 15, 2015
Second Round Deadline: 23:59 GMT March 31, 2016
Third Round Deadline: 23:59 GMT June 15, 2016
Each round will have six prizes:
Beginner Category | Intermediate Category |
For the best earth-science themed game, app or simulation using Kodu Game Lab, Microsoft Touch Develop or Project Spark. | For the best web app exploring an earth-science topic using actual NASA data and imagery. |
1st Prize: $3,000 | 1st Prize: $3,000 |
2nd Prize: $2,000 | 2nd Prize: $2,000 |
3rd Prize: $1,000 | 3rd Prize: $1,000 |
Microsoft Imagine and NASA’s Jet Propulsion Laboratory look forward to seeing what our global community of students creates with the power of programming and the excitement of earth science. Our greatest adventure is happening right here on Earth – let’s go!