Sparking change can be big or small but everyone starts from somewhere. It can be volunteering as a tutor or mentoring a young person; organizing a local food collection or developing an app or a game to address a community issue; speaking out for a cause or even starting an organization to support a favourite cause. No idea is too big or too small but whatever it is, MICROSOFT wants to hear it!
YouthSpark's Challenge for Change is back for a third year, and this time it's bigger! Microsoft is again this year hosting this global contest asking youths olds how they can spark positive change in their communities, and how Microsoft's tools and resources could help them do so and more.
The contest is open to individuals during the contest submission period of February 25 - March 25, 2015 would be aged 13 to 25 years. Microsoft Student Partners, YouthSpark Advocates or Microsoft in Education Student Ambassadors who meet the eligibility criteria set forth in the official rules are eligible to enter the contest. However, Individuals do not need to be students as long as they meet the age requirement and other entry requirements for the contest, which can be found on the YouthSpark Hub.
To enter visit Microsoft YouthSpark Challenge for Change. Participants will need to answer the following questions and submit a current photo.
1. What cause do you care about most? Why?
2. How do you support (or would you like to support) this cause?
3. How could Microsoft technology help you do more to support this cause? Give examples!
4. If you won the prize package, how would you use it to do more good?
Individuals aged 13 to 25 who meet the criteria in the official rules can enter by completing the entry form online before March 25th at 12:00 PM EST (16:00 GMT). There are two separate age categories in the contest: One age group is for 13-17 year-olds, and the other is for 18-25 year-olds. Entries may only be accepted in English. If English is not the entrant's native language and they want to write their entry in another language first, they can use Bing Translator to help them translate the entry to English before entering the contest.
Microsoft says "We expect the finalists and grand prize winners to be a mix of students who are creating positive change in small but important ways, as well as those who are epic change-makers working across their school, community, region, or the globe. Their ideas may be brand new and untested, or they may be something they've been doing for years."
30 finalists will win a Surface Pro 3 with Office 365, and ten grand prize winners will win a life-changing two-week leadership development trip to Nicaragua, $2500 to help them turn their ideas into a reality, a Windows Phone, and the opportunity to be a Microsoft YouthSpark Advocate!