Students

Greetings! I’m Jason, the Program Lead for Microsoft Student Partners Singapore. It’s been a few months since the last summary of events, the last one being in October. I’d like to highlight a selection of events our fine MSPs have organized or contributed to in the months since. November saw the launch of one of the most anticipated products in 2015 – the Surface Pro 4. Our MSPs were given the chance to attend the very exclusive Media and Influencers Event, where one of us won the coveted Surface Pro 4 in a lucky draw contest! This win was reminiscent of the local Windows 10 Launch in July where two of our MSPs clinched the top prizes – a Surface Pro 3 and Surface 3. Next, our MSPs in Nanyang Polytechnic pushed our evangelism efforts to their campus and held a DreamSpark, Azure, and Office 365 workshop for their peers. This workshop spanned two lecture halls and saw students setting up an online resume for free. Our November monthly meet-up had us challenging ourselves through two Escape Room challenges in Clarke Quay. We formed teams and proceeded to overcome various puzzles – emerging triumphant… Mostly. December was a slower month being a school holiday for most of us. With many MSPs migrating for the winter or hibernating (in hot, tropical Singapore), we put our evangelism efforts on hold and held an amazing Christmas party at the Microsoft office. Our party had a treasure hunt, lavish Christmas buffet with a chocolate fondue, Star Wars, and various games – truly a day to remember. In January, our two ebullient MSPs from National University of Singapore took over a lecture hall to pitch DreamSpark and Azure. They distributed freebies such as t-shirts to the excited students. Temasek Polytechnic MSPs organized an event where staff from Microsoft could share about DreamSpark, Azure, Windows 10, Office 365, and their experiences on working in the tech industry. Finally, MSPs from Nanyang Technological University ran an Xbox booth during their School of Electrical and Electronic Engineering’s “EEE Week”, the allure of Kinect giving their schoolmates the impetus to unwind in the swank indulgence of dance and virtual sports. ...

October was a big month for the Microsoft Student Partners as Microsoft Singapore launched its inaugural “Campus Surprise” event across 8 different tertiary education institutes. Through strong publicity efforts, the MSPs reached out to around 50,000 of their peers in Singapore and conducted a multitude of Windows 10 demos and upgrades over the two weeks run. Run by MSPs in the individual campuses, several ingenious ways of attracting the public were devised including an Escape Room based on Microsoft technologies, Sway, gaming benches and more. Among the technologies featured were Windows 10, Xbox, Continuum, Office 365, DreamSpark, and Azure. All in all, Campus Surprise was a success and helped to drive awareness of Microsoft’s products, services, and offers for students. Loads of preparation went into Campus Surprise with the MSPs having to attend several Train-the-Trainer sessions held at Microsoft Singapore. They also had to liaise with their institutions to secure locations. We’ve all learnt a lot this round and can’t wait for another successful run next year! ...

Microsoft and Code.org team up to bring ‘Minecraft’ to Hour of Code “Minecraft” Hour of Code tutorial aims to introduce millions of youth to the creativity of computer science. REDMOND, Wash. — Nov. 16, 2015 — Microsoft Corp. and Code.org on Monday unveiled a “Minecraft” coding tutorial for students and educators, created especially for the third-annual Hour of Code, a campaign to broaden global participation in computer science, held during Computer Science Education Week, Dec. 7–13. The new tutorial, now available at https://www.code.org/mc, introduces players to basic coding within the fun and popular “Minecraft” environment. Created by “Minecraft” game designers together with Code.org, the tutorial features Steve and Alex from “Minecraft” and “Minecraft”-inspired challenges that will be familiar to its more than 100 million players around the world. Designed for ages 6 and up, the “Minecraft” tutorial introduces players to basic coding skills, encouraging them to navigate, mine, craft and explore in a 2-D “Minecraft” world by plugging together blocks to complete all actions and generate computer code. Players are offered a set of 14 challenges, including free play time, to explore coding concepts they’ve learned through the tutorial. “‘Minecraft’ is a special game that girls and boys alike often can’t be pried away from,” said Code.org CEO and Co-founder Hadi Partovi. “Microsoft continues to be Code.org’s most generous donor and one of the largest supporters of the worldwide movement to give every student the opportunity to learn computer science. This year’s ‘Minecraft’ tutorial will empower millions of learners around the world to explore how a game they love actually works and will inspire them to impact the world by creating their own technology or apps.” To date, more than 100 million students across 180 countries and 40 languages have participated in the Hour of Code, including one in three students in U.S. schools. This year, the campaign expects to exceed 100,000 events during Dec. 7?13 and to continue introducing more girls and underrepresented students of color to this foundational 21st century field. In support of Code.org and the global Hour of Code campaign, Microsoft will also lead thousands of Hour of Code events in more than 50 countries around the world. Events will take place at Microsoft stores, offices and innovation centers as well as facilities of Microsoft’s YouthSpark nonprofit partners and schools. They will be led by over 7,000 Microsoft Student Partners, Most Valuable Professionals (MVPs) and employee volunteers. In addition, Microsoft is gifting Windows Store credit to every educator who organizes an Hour of Code event worldwide. About Code.org Launched in 2013, Code.org® is a non-profit dedicated to expanding access to computer science, and increasing participation by women and underrepresented students of color. Its vision is that every student in every school should have the opportunity to learn computer science. Code.org believes computer science should be part of core curriculum, alongside other courses such as biology, chemistry or algebra. For more information, visit https://www.Code.org.

It’s been an exciting September for the Microsoft Student Partners in Singapore! Energized from a rewarding outing in August where they were treated with a trip to Adventure Cove Waterpark - a theme park in Singapore, the MSPs ran a myriad of events in September. On the 2nd of September, MSPs volunteered at TechFemme 2015, an event that aims to empower women in technology. The MSPs helped to usher the participants and evangelized about the Microsoft Surface, Xbox One, and Microsoft Office. Their involvement greatly influenced the successful run of the event especially since they had the arduous task of moving the massive Xbox kiosks across buildings as the event spanned different areas as the day progressed. The next day, Singapore MSPs were involved in the Microsoft AHQ Kickoff for FY16. Donovan Cho went up on stage to give a heartwarming speech about his experience and passion for Microsoft as a true fan of Windows 10 and as a Microsoft Student Partner. Next, Jason Chee - Microsoft Student Partner of the Year - was interviewed live on stage by Jeff Bullwinkel, Associate General Counsel for APJ. He shared about how he had started his Microsoft journey (you can read more about that here) and on the plethora of programs Microsoft offers to students to help every person and every organization on the planet to achieve more. Next, on the 9th of September, the Infocomm Development Authority of Singapore held an event called Young Tech Fest which saw students across many educational institutes coming down to try their hand at code and learn more about technology. Microsoft had a booth to showcase our products such as the Microsoft Surface, Xbox One, and Windows 10. The MSPs were on-site to help market Microsoft’s technologies and ran workshops on Kodu, DreamSpark, and Azure Student Benefit. Lastly, Microsoft ran the monthly MSP Meet Up on the 12th of September where the latest information about the program was shared. One of the MSP Alumni, Danish Lukawski, popped by to give a talk on how to “Be Your Brand and Tell Your Story”. Also, one of the MSPs, David Lim, gave a sharing session on Developing for Kinect v2. We have a lot of events lined up for October and we can’t wait to share them with you next month!

This year’s Splash Awards organized by Singapore Computer Society saw many brilliant student teams compete against each other in pre-tertiary and tertiary categories, across various sub-themes including “Pride in Every Job”, “Success: Unlimited”, “Right Choice, Bright Future”, and “School & Family: One Team”. In its 12th year, the Splash Awards’ objective is to spur interest in Infocomm amongst students, provide students with an opportunity to gain exposure and knowledge on application development, gain experience and prepare for the industry, and encourage innovation, creativity and entrepreneurship through application development and possibilities. In total, there were 86 competing teams made up of more than 214 students. The Finals and Talent Showcase was held on the 24th of August and graced by Senior Minister of State for Law and Education Indranee Rajah. After months of hard work, the following teams received the Merit Prize in the Pre-Tertiary category: ...

On the 18th of September, Microsoft awarded 5 students with the Microsoft YouthSpark Scholarship during the Towards an Inclusive Workforce 2015 event organized by Society for the Physically Disabled. These outstanding individuals demonstrate excellent academic credentials, strong leadership potential and a passion for higher learning - impressing the judging panel with their inspiring display of strength, courage and resilience in overcoming a variety of physical and sensory challenges, including macular dystrophy (vision impairment), hearing impairment, osteogenesis imperfecta (brittle bones disease) and Asperger’s syndrome. This year’s scholarship recipients include: ...

IDA Young Tech Fest is an annual 2-day festival featuring exhibitions and social events in celebration of all technological things. With all things technological there, and roughly 7 educational institutes showcasing their technological innovations, it was a sight to behold! [caption id=“attachment_21138” align=“aligncenter” width=“3240”] What awaits us beyond those doors?[/caption] [caption id=“attachment_21139” align=“aligncenter” width=“3240”] The many chairs awaiting their prospective owners[/caption] Over 2000 attendees participated in the Young Tech Fest to learn more about technology and how to shape the future. From tinkering with wearable tech and robotics, to taking a trip down Singapore’s tech evolution, the participants were engaged in all things technological. Microsoft was there on-site to showcase the technologies available and to encourage students to start their very first web blog using Microsoft Azure. I was also there helping out with curious students. [caption id=“attachment_21140” align=“aligncenter” width=“3240”] Our friendly Student helpers helping out with the booth[/caption] Halley, Shi Qin and Ling Hui were on-site to help out with any queries from the general public as well as activating their student benefits. Students can learn more about how to go about activating their benefits at Funpack if they missed it during the event. Within the funpack that Microsoft is offering, I would like to specially highlight the DreamSpark and Azure offerings in which Microsoft offers free software and the cloud platform to students to help with their learning process. To activate your free offerings, first proceed to Step One and log in using your Microsoft email account. After verifying your student status, proceed to Step Two to verify your phone number via OTP. [caption id=“attachment_21143” align=“alignnone” width=“3240”] Chatting with a student regarding Azure[/caption] I had lots of fun discussing and chatting about Azure with like-minded students who were all passionate about IT just like me! [caption id=“attachment_21141” align=“aligncenter” width=“3240”] Shi Qin helping out with our Kodu Workshop[/caption] Microsoft also held workshops teaching students how to code up a simple game using Kodu. Our friendly helpers were also on-site to help out with those who needed guidance. [caption id=“attachment_21142” align=“aligncenter” width=“3240”] Halley teaching students about Kodu Game Lab[/caption] There were also workshops held to teach participants about how to host a simple resume website using Azure. Here, we have Terence, who is our Technological Evangelist, teaching participants how to set up the resume website. Many people were at Microsoft booth to learn more about Azure or were they? :) [caption id=“attachment_21147” align=“aligncenter” width=“3240”] Crowds at the Microsoft booth[/caption] Younger students who were in for something fun found a Xbox One loaded with Halo waiting for them! [caption id=“attachment_21146” align=“aligncenter” width=“3240”] Halo on Xbox One[/caption] Finally we ended the day with a group picture of our entire team who worked hard for these 2 days! [caption id=“attachment_21149” align=“aligncenter” width=“3240”] Group shot[/caption]

Calling all students! Stand a chance to win $1,000 every month (in just a few clicks)! Microsoft has launched a new contest for all students called the Hello Cloud Challenge to get students coding on Microsoft Azure. The competition is open to students above 16 years old. Be sure to check out the competition site and the official rules! If you’re a student and wishes to take part in the challenge, here are the steps: ...

This post continues from Imagine Cup 2015 World Finals - Part I Day 3 - Wednesday, July 29 This was definitely an intense and pressurizing day for our competitors and students. Team Mozter shared with me that they were extremely nervous the night before, and they had trouble sleeping due to the excitement. With months of hard work, the students are finally down to judgement day. After travelling thousands of miles, team Mozter representing Singapore, alongside 32 other teams, was ready to give it their best shot! Upon arrival at the Microsoft campus where judging took place, mentors and even Microsoft staffs like myself could feel intensity of the heat from the competition as teams were either seen scurrying to their own corners rehearsing their pitches, tweaking presentation slides, or interviewing with the official Imagine Cup crew. [caption id=“Teams Interview” align=“alignnone” width=“3072”]Imagine Cup crew interviewing Team Thief from China[/caption] Different time slots were assigned to each team for their presentation throughout the day, and Mozter was given an early 9am slot. Teams were briefed that they will be given a 10-minute slot to set up their equipment, and another 10 minutes to present their solutions to the judges. [caption id=“Briefing” align=“alignnone” width=“3072”]Imagine Cup crew briefing Mozter before their presentations[/caption] [caption id=“Set up” align=“alignnone” width=“3072”]Mozter was given 10 minutes to set up their presentations[/caption] [caption id=“Presentation” align=“alignnone” width=“3072”]Team member Kirk at the actual presentation[/caption] Right after the presentations, teams were not given the opportunity to lay their hairs down and relax, as there was still the hands-on judging sessions. During the session, judges go round the different showcase booths set up by the teams, where they had the opportunity to interact with the team’s apps in real-time, ask questions and provide feedback, up to 10 minutes per team. Apart from their presentation earlier, this session was extremely important, as it could affect the judge’s impression of their work, and had a direct impact on their scores. [caption id=“Hands-on Judging” align=“alignnone” width=“3072”]Team Mozter ready for their hands-on judging[/caption] I suppose it was fortunate for Mozter to be given an early slot, as that would allow us to relax for the rest of the day. Apart from resume 101 sessions, where Microsoft staff provide our students with feedback regarding their resumes, teams also had the free rein to check out other team’s presentations, roam around the Microsoft Redmond Campus, visit the Company Store, or to attend Microsoft’s OneWeek, a weeklong celebration of Microsoft people, products and ideas. [caption id=“oneweek” align=“alignnone” width=“3072”]The Microsoft //oneweek Expo[/caption] ...

It definitely wouldn’t be news to hear that Singapore is celebrating its Golden Jubilee this weekend. But hey, we’re not the only ones turning 50 this eventful twenty-fifteen. Intel’s co-founder Gordon Moore’s observation in 1965, popularly referred to as Moore’s Law, reinvented the playing field and became a springboard for innovation for the electronics industry. In conjunction with the celebration of this insight, Intel Singapore has launched an empowering competition designed to bring out the best in our Little Red Dot’s youth. Calling out to innovators aged 18-34 pursuing their Diploma, Bachelor, Master, or Ph.D. degrees full time in an MOE-recognised institution, Intel wants your ideas for a smarter Singapore to be heard. If that doesn’t rev up your thinking caps, they’ve thrown in a grand prize of S$10,000 for the team, a laptop featuring Intel® RealSenseTM 3D Camera plus an Intel® internship opportunity for each member. Invent50 tests the youngest and brightest to dig deep into who Singapore is, as a community, and use their innovative minds to practically solve today’s challenges. Focus areas may include but are not bounded to: Smart Nation, Home, Mobility and/or Health. The registration phase of Invent50 is already ongoing, giving students till the 4th of September to submit their new or value-added solutions in teams of three to four. After which, teams of here about a total of 50 students will be mentored by Intel engineers to transform their ideas into practical prototypes in a 2-day bootcamp followed by a 10-week mentorship programme. From a panel of judges comprising of industry experts and partners, three winners will be selected on the feasibilty and innovativeness of their prototype designs. Teams interested in signing up or just to find out more about this exciting opportunity can log on to the Intel Invent50 website. If you need ideas or some inspiration to get your gears going, check out this inspiring example of Project Daniel - an amazing story of how using the technology already present can improve someone’s life or improve a community’s wellbeing. “Through this competition, we want to showcase how world-changing innovation doesn’t need to come from large corporations,” said Mr. Sumner Lemon, Country Manager, Intel Malaysia and Singapore. “We have a long history of helping develop the next generation of innovators and we are extremely excited to launch this competition at a time when local students are becoming more aware of how technology is lowering the barriers to innovation.” The ball is now on our courts. Shine bright, guys!