[ad#ad-1] I had the privilege of siting in on of Samsung STEM sponsored academy’s today, it was great listening to young minds comprehend and develop app ideas for things that interest them.Considering at their age i still cared more about comic books and wasn’t thinking at the level that these kids are. In its second year, the two-day mobile application academies are free for eligible 11th and 12th graders interested in STEM, and will award $35,000 in scholarships for the students who create winning App ideas. The Mobile App Academies will be hosted in Atlanta, Boston, Chicago, Dallas, New York City and San Francisco beginning June 26.
With more than 800,000 apps available on the Android operating system and 1.7 million apps worldwide, mobile app development is one of the hottest trends in the wireless industry. The academies will expose students to the growing social and educational possibilities of mobile application development and give them the opportunity to create apps that are interesting and culturally relevant to them and their communities.
During the two-day event, students will have access to thought leaders in mobile technology and application development as well as web entrepreneurs so they can learn first-hand about the latest developments in mobile technology. Students will use the Samsung Galaxy Note™ 10.1 tablet as their portal to the program curriculum and tool for researching the digital landscape and exploring the latest trends in the mobile application industry.
Participants will be able to submit their own mobile application concept proposal for a chance to win a grand prize of $20,000 in scholarships; 2nd and 3rd place winners will receive $10,000 and $5,000 in scholarships. All winners, plus one 4th and one 5th place winner, will receive the new Samsung Galaxy S 4 smartphone. Additionally, Samsung is collaborating with its developers group to explore building the student’s winning app.
To bring the Samsung Mobile App Academies into the classroom, Samsung will also introduce a one-day Samsung Mobile Application Teacher Workshop hosted at the Perot Museum of Nature and Science in Dallas. The free workshop will guide educators through a series of STEM related activities and lesson plans to further transform their classrooms into more interactive, technically savvy learning environments. Through lessons that connect with the Texas Essential Knowledge and Skills (TEKS) state standards, educators will increase their own mobile application knowledge, learn about new emerging software platforms and potential careers for students in the mobile device and applications marketplace. All Samsung Mobile Application Teacher Workshop attendees will receive a Samsung Galaxy Note™ 10.1 tablet and may be eligible to receive Continuing Professional Education (CPE) credits.
“Samsung Mobile App Academies aim to positively influence and inspire the next generation of mobile application developers,” said Dale Sohn, president of Samsung Telecommunications America. “By expanding our program to six cities nationwide, we have the opportunity to further connect with and further empower top performing high school students interested in science, technology, engineering and mathematics. The new Samsung Mobile Application Teacher Workshop gives educators a robust understanding of mobile application development and fuels information sharing with other STEM stakeholders in the academic community.”
Samsung Mobile App Academies will be held at the following locations:
June 26–27: San Francisco, CA, University of California, Berkeley (UC Berkeley)
July 10–11: Atlanta, GA, Georgia Institute of Technology (Georgia Tech)
July 17–18: Chicago, IL, University of Illinois at Chicago (UIC)
July 24–25: Boston, MA, Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT)
July 30–31: Dallas, TX, University of Texas at Dallas (UT Dallas)
August 7–8: New York City, NY, Polytechnic Institute of New York University (NYU Poly)
