OTTAWA, May 26, 2014 /CNW/ - Ottawa Network for Education's 3rd TechU.me AppJam is proving that engaging technology courses in high school could mean more girls interested in tech! The AppJam competition, started in 2012, demonstrates excellence in app development by high school students in Ottawa. "Students - especially female - start to self-select themselves out of tech-related streams as early as in grade 9" said Steven Evraire, Director of TechU.me. "In the first two years of AppJam, barely 10% of our competitors were female; this year it's 36% - significantly higher than the 20% sector ratio."
This year's finalists are students in grades 10 through 12, representing 10 schools across 3 school boards. Competitors have developed an app either on their own (Independent stream), or through the TechU.me Mentor Program (Mentor steam). At the AppJam, representatives from sponsoring companies will judge the apps and award $4500 in cash prizes. Judges will look for students for summer jobs with their firms.
The Canadian Internet Registration Authority (www.CIRA.ca), the competition's presenting sponsor and a long-time supporter of TechU.me, has successfully hired two summer students since 2012. "Last year, our student got to see exactly how things work in our professional environment," said Stuart Olmstead-Wilcox, Development Manager at CIRA. "He delivered a feature that got released to one of our partners. Now, he's gone on to university but we hope that he'll come back to us as a co-op student. That's the crux of what this program can offer to our industry - it's a win-win for the company and the student."
About TechU.me
TechU.me is an education program for the digital age, reimagining how students acquire the fundamental skills they need in order to succeed in their careers: critical thinking, creativity, collaboration, and communication.
About ONFE:
The Ottawa Network for Education (ONFE) brings together education and community partners committed to enriching public education in Ottawa. We harness the resources of the community to help students succeed in a rapidly changing world. Our Student Support and Career Preparation programs are accessed more than 80,000 times each year across all Ottawa school boards.
Join our network today and help us connect the community to support student success! To learn more, please visit our website at www.onfe-rope.ca or contact us directly at 613-366-3085 / [email protected].
SOURCE: Ottawa Network for Education
Maria Smirnoff
(613) 899-4661
[email protected]
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