The Imagine Cup is the world’s premier student technology competition. Beginning with local and regional competitions, Imagine Cup 2011 comes to an exciting finale at the Worldwide Finals held this year in New York City, United States.  Overall, the idea is to show how technology can help solve the world’s toughest problems (Based upon the eight United Nations Millennium Development Goals). And the solution? Well, that’s entirely up to you—and your imagination.

The Center of Excellence for Information and Computing Technology is inviting two CTC teams and a faculty mentor to compete in Microsoft’s 2011 Imagine Cup, with the national completion hosted at Microsoft’s Redmond campus.

The five different competition categories (with specific competition themes, descriptions, deadlines and due dates, and other details attached) in which teams can compete are:

• Software Design
• Embedded Development
• Game Design
  • Windows/Xbox
  • Web (Silverlight)
  • Mobile (Zune/Phone)
  • Specific Rules for Game Design
• Digital Media
• IT Challenge

* Official Rules

The Center is accepting Imagine Cup 2011 Competition team applications from the CTC system through Friday, October 15, 2010.  Each team selected for support by the Center of Excellence will receive a $3,000 stipend for the faculty mentor for release time or travel expenditures.  The funds cannot be used for software or equipment per state rules and laws.  However, check out dreamspark.com for free software downloads provided by Microsoft.

War veterans need jobs. They are returning to the U.S. and have a high technical knowledge skill set due to military training, experience, and service.  This is a major benefit to the U.S. workforce.  They often have “classified status”, meaning they have been vetted as recipients of secret or classified information.  Given the need to provide supplemental training and employment opportunities for our veterans, an ICT apprenticeship program is in process to simultaneously advance positive perceptions of ICT CTC graduates by ICT employers and grow in-house a new generation of ICT workers.

The Center is working with veteran’s groups, government representatives, partner community and technical colleges, and industry professionals to build a system and support process that is building an e-mentoring collaborative, a state-approved apprenticeship program, and a college career pathway in systems and network administration.

Partner colleges:

• Clover Park Technical College
• Everett Community College
• Pierce Community College

We are currently working with the State’s L&I’s Office of Apprenticeship in developing a state-approved apprenticeship program in  information and computing technology focusing on network and systems administrators.  The Network and Systems Administrators Apprenticeship Standards Committee will be working to develop the required standards between December and June 2010.  If you are an information and computing technology professional (a network or systems administrator) who would be interested in joining the committee, please contact us at maureen.majury@bellevuecollege.edu or by phone at 425.564.4229.  Compensation will be provided.

We are currently looking for an ICT faculty member of Washington State’s CTC system, who has experience either as a veteran or who has experience working with veterans, as well as veteran issues, to develop a five-credit ICT soft skills course. Stipend of $3,000. Contract period: January – March 2010.  Please contact Maureen Majury for a more complete project description.