Non-profit, industry and education sectors come together for the 2013 TechU.me AppJam - demonstrating excellence in app development by Ottawa's teens!

OTTAWA, May 30, 2013 /CNW/ - Today, the Ottawa Network for Education (ONFE), along with its presenting academic and industry sponsors - University of Ottawa and Canadian Internet Registration Authority (CIRA) - is hosting the 2013 TechU.me App Jam, held in conjunction with the Ottawa International Game Conference at the Ottawa Convention Centre. High school students in grades 10 through 12, representing 10 local area schools, will demo apps developed as part of the TechU.me Mentor Program for a chance to win $1,000 cash prizes from 6 sponsors: CIRA, University of Ottawa, Algonquin College, bitHeads / Playbrains, Lixar I.T., Macadamian and Halogen Software.

Three lucky students will also receive $2,500 scholarships to the University of Ottawa, a long-time supporter of TechU.me's Mentor Program and AppJam. "Computing technologies have and continue to change our world," relates Marcel Turcotte, Vice-Dean of Academic Affairs and Associate Professor at the University of Ottawa's Faculty of Engineering. "Learning to code helps to solve problems in a creative way across many sectors and disciplines. Programming literacy is one of the most sought after skills by employers. Yet, computer science and software engineering remain amongst the most obscure career choices - the upside: lots of rewarding career opportunities for graduates!"

Judges, representing AppJam's sponsoring companies, will also be on hand looking out for summer student hires. "Students display an incredible level of innovation, talent and enthusiasm that never ceases to amaze me," says Byron Holland, President and CEO of CIRA. "If we can help focus that energy and develop that talent at a young age, it can have a significant benefit for the technology industry, while providing a great opportunity for the students to showcase their talents in a real world setting."

This is the 2^nd annual AppJam organized by ONFE, made possible in large part by funding from FedDev Ontario and TechU.me's industry partners: IBM, Macadamian, Adobe and BlackBerry. This year, ONFE received 36 app submissions - almost double that of last year - and 15 apps were chosen to participate in Thursday's finale event. "There is a noticeable increase in excellence of students' work," hinted Steve Evraire, Director of TechU.me. "This ought to result in a highly competitive AppJam final round. We think that our industry judges will be impressed not only by the apps, but by the quality of students themselves!"

About Ottawa Network for Education

The Ottawa Network for Education 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 reach over 50,000 students each year.

SOURCE: Ottawa Network for Education

For more information about ONFE and TechU.me, please contact: 

Kathy McKinlay, CEO
Ottawa Network for Education
[email protected]
613-366-3085 x258
www.onfe-rope.ca