Right now we’re thrilled to launch the fifth annual Microsoft Think about Cup Junior (ICJ) international scholar competitors. Registration and content material are actually accessible for educators to assist college students study AI expertise and the way it may be used to resolve a number of the world’s greatest challenges. 

ICJ supplies an interesting studying alternative supported by educators that covers a spread of expertise and is open to all college students ages 5-18, no matter their technical proficiency.¹ 

Final yr hundreds of scholars from greater than 100 nations participated within the ICJ problem. The judges acknowledged 10 international winners who created unbelievable ideas to handle Microsoft’s AI for Good initiatives. Many nations and areas hosted native competitions and acknowledged the highest native groups. 

In 2024, we’re excited to see much more college students take part within the problem and study the affect that digital applied sciences similar to AI, machine studying, and cybersecurity can have on the world.  

What’s Think about Cup Junior?

The Microsoft Think about Cup Junior is a AI Tech for Good international scholar competitors for college students ages 5-18 constructed on the success of Microsoft’s Think about Cup. By means of ICJ, educators make the most of classes to show their college students about AI applied sciences, college students type groups, and apply these classes to dream up an idea or concept to make a distinction of their area people or world round them.  

College students clarify their idea in a PowerPoint template and file a video as an instance their idea. No coding is required, and the competitors is open to any scholar who’s enthusiastic about studying extra about AI.  

New this yr! We now have a number of new sources to help scholar studying together with an progressive lesson about generative AI and the way it’s totally different than conventional or rule-based AI. As well as, Think about Cup Junior is now open to all college students ages 5-18. College students aged 13-18 will compete within the AI for Good class and college students aged 5-12 will compete within the Expertise for Good class.  

Think about Cup Junior Registration 

Participation in Think about Cup Junior is by way of a Staff Chief (similar to an educator, teacher, employees member, college chief, father or mother, guardian) over the age of 18.² The 2024 problem is open for registration by way of www.imaginecup.com/junior beginning as we speak!  

Think about Cup Junior Useful resource Pack 

As soon as registered, Staff Leaders can entry all of the sources wanted to teach college students and run an important Think about Cup Junior problem. These sources embrace:  

AI for Good Useful resource Pack for college students ages 13-18: 

• Getting Began Equipment: consists of six 45-minute classes, scholar guides, submission template, guidelines and laws, and rubric. 
• Deep Studying Modules: in-depth overview of the six expertise modules that complement the Getting Began Equipment, for extra superior studying. Modules embrace Intro to AI, Machine Studying, AI Functions in Actual Life, Deep Studying and Neural Networks, AI for Good, and Cybersecurity. 
• Staff Chief Toolkit: consists of scholar certificates, social templates, posters, and extra to leverage all through the problem. 
• Judging Standards and Rubric: to know what shall be utilized by judges to find out the winners.  

Tech for Good Useful resource Pack for college students ages 5-12: 

• Getting Began Equipment: consists of 5 45-minute classes, Tech for Good playbook, submission template, rubric, and guidelines and laws.  

Staff Leaders may additionally entry on-demand AI webinars to additional perceive greatest practices for working an Think about Cup Junior challenge and facilitating extra studying for college students.  

After a Staff Chief supplies classes from the Getting Began Equipment, college students type groups of two to 6 college students for the AI for Good class and groups of two to forty for the Tech for Good class. Every Staff Chief then encourages the scholar groups to use the teachings and brainstorm ideas to assist make a constructive distinction to the world. Ideas ought to be aligned to the Microsoft AI for Good initiatives centered on Well being, Cultural Heritage, Earth, Accessibility, and Humanitarian Motion.  

How are Think about Cup Junior tasks submitted? 

College students illustrate their idea within the Think about Cup Junior PowerPoint template. Staff Leaders submit a accomplished PowerPoint template and hyperlink to a video illustrating the scholars’ idea at: www.imaginecup.com/junior  

Submissions for the 2024 competitors should be uploaded to the Think about Cup web site by Could 8, 2024. A panel of judges evaluates every group’s challenge primarily based on the Judging Standards and Rubric.  

The highest ten groups shall be introduced on June 13, 2024, and obtain trophies and prizes.   

How one can get began with Think about Cup Junior 

1. Register at www.imaginecup.com/junior
2. Obtain the Think about Cup Junior AI for Good Useful resource Pack for college students ages 13-18 and/or Tech for Good Useful resource Pack for college students ages 5-12 
3. Incorporate the sources into class curriculum and lesson plans. 
4. Kind scholar groups sized two (2) to 6 (6) college students for the AI for Good class and groups of two (2) to forty (40) for the Tech for Good class and collaborate with them to develop their concept and construct their idea within the PowerPoint submission template. Have scholar groups create a video illustrating their concept. 
5. Submit tasks by Could 8, 2024 by way of www.imaginecup.com/junior 
6. Have a good time groups who’re topped international problem winners, to be introduced June 13, 2024 on the Microsoft Schooling Weblog.

¹Staff Leaders and college students don’t want any background in expertise– we’ve made each side of Think about Cup Junior accessible to newbie ranges in bite-sized modules by expertise space. We will’t wait to see what concepts college students provide you with this yr to resolve a number of the world’s greatest challenges!  

²Open solely to scholar groups ages 5-18 with a group chief 18+. Sport ends 5/8/24. For full particulars, see Official Guidelines. Notice: If a successful group chief is a public sector worker, the prize shall be awarded on to the general public sector establishment and topic to receipt of a present letter signed by the establishment’s ethics officer, legal professional, or designated government/officer chargeable for the group’s presents/ethics coverage.