With the openness of the growing mobile app market, smartphones and virtual experiences, the sky is truly the limit for anyone with initiative – a message that Stanford University’s Mobile and Social Computing Research Group, a research lab “creating disruptive mobile and social technologies,” is trying to convey to the upcoming generation of future innovators and computer scientists.
As a part of the lab’s Imagine Mobile Concept Video Competition, middle and high school students with original ideas for a mobile app, device or experience are eligible to win one of two $1000 scholarships, according to the competition’s official Facebook page. To be considered for the scholarship, students from all over the world may work individually or in teams to create a “commercial” for their “product,” which they must upload to YouTube and the MobiSocial Facebook page by May 20.
According to Stanford student Joy Kim, the competition hopes to demonstrate to students the creative side of Computer Science and create further interest in the field.
“By asking students to think about what their own ideas for interesting and new mobile or social apps, we’re hoping to spark a realization that computer science could actually make their cool idea real,” Kim wrote to The Paly Voice in an email. “Hopefully, the desire to create their idea will motivate students to take the next step of actually learning some programming because they now have something to work towards.”
Kim, who became involved in developing and running the competition when approached by Stanford Professor Monica Lam, said the idea to have a competition stemmed from a programming summer camp hosted by the MobiSocial Computing Lab last year. When the students demonstrated their pleasant surprise at the hands-on interactivity and group work throughout the camp, Kim said the lab wanted to show the unknown side of Computer Science.
“We realized that students didn’t know how people-oriented and creative computer science can be, and we wanted to do something about it,” Kim wrote. Winning videos will be announced on June 3. Videos may either win People’s Choice Award by garnering the most Google Wildfire votes or Judge’s Choice Award, chosen by the MobiSocial Lab for “clarity of idea, originality & creativity, entertainment value and filmmaking technique.” According to the competition rules page, the winning participants’ videos and a few select honorable mention videos will be posted on the MobiSocial Lab website.
Kim offered advice and pointers for those interested in entering the competition.
“We’re really hoping to see ideas for mobile or social applications or experience,” Kim wrote. “I think to a lot of people, this will mean some sort of smartphone app, but we’re hoping that students will think outside of the box — Tablet apps? Kinect apps? Google Glass apps? Redesigning the experience of shopping at a grocery store?”
Kim added that students may want to start early, plan out their videos thoroughly using storyboards and scripts and find ideas in everyday places and experiences.
She also offered words of encouragement for those interested in going into the Computer Science field.
“My advice to you is to always remember that computers can help you change the world, because if you remember that, you’ll be able to get through tough nights of programming assignments and homework much more easily,” she wrote, adding that even those who don’t want to go into Computer Science should pursue a class or two in college for the experience and general knowledge.
For more information about the competition, click here.
Editors’ Note: A previous version of this article incorrectly stated that the People’s Choice Award would be awarded based on the number of Facebook likes rather than the “likes” or “votes” received via Google Wildfire. The current version of this article reflects this change