(From left to right) 3rd Winner 5 Junior High School Depok, 2nd Winner 2 Vocational School Sewon, 1st Winner 10 Senior High School Yogyakarta, Favourite Winner 2 Junior High School Playen, during the announcement of Best App winners in Microsoft YouthSpark Ilmu Komputer Yogyakarta, Tuesday, June 14, 2016.
Yogyakarta, 15 Juni 2016 – Microsoft and YCAB Foundation announced two important achievements from the series of Microsoft YouthSpark Ilmu Komputer activites that were held in Gadjah Mada University (UGM). A day earlier at Koesnadi Hardjasoemantri Cultural Center, the team from 10 Senior High School was selected as winner of the best gaming app. This momentum was also supported by the Yogyakarta Special Region Government’s endorsement to continue the education of integrated technology with teachers.
With participants of more than 200 students from junior high schools, senior high schools and vocational schools, teachers, tech communities, such as Jogja Digital Valley, technopreneurs to student volunteers in Yogyakarta, Microsoft Youthspark Ilmu Komputer featured 10 gaming apps and ended with the announcement of gaming app Robot Gentho. In addition to the programs that were focused on empowering children, around 80 teachers also participated in Focus Group Discussion with representatives from the Yogyakarta Communications and Informatics Agency (Diskominfo) to discuss the work plan of computer-based education curriculum.
“We are happy to see the glowing support and positive feedback from all parties towards Microsoft YouthSpark Ilmu Komputer and its success in encouraging students to develop creative apps,” said Ruben Hattari, Corporate Affairs Director of Microsoft Indonesia.
Microsoft YouthSpark Ilmu Komputer is a part of the global Microsoft YouthSpark program. This program consists of various activities that can improve skills and equip youths with knowledge about technology so that unemployment rate could decrease.
Ruben Hattari added, “We believe by giving access to technology education early on, the young generation in Yogyakarta will be able to compete and become future leaders. All finalists could develop gaming apps even though some of them have little to no experience in coding and making apps.”
Focus Discussion Group between teachers, Rony Primanto (right), Head of Yogyakarta Diskominfo’s Information Technology Services Development.
In cooperation with UGM’s Faculty of Social and Political Sciences and Diskominfo’s Information Technology Services Development Division, Microsoft YouthSpark Ilmu Komputer was held to help tackle unemployment and develop Yogyakarta’s potential as smart city.
“We are aware that education is one of the key factors to help tackle the high unemployment rate. By providing computer-based education, youths will be able to enrich their knowledge and capabilities as well as develop their mindset to be more creative and strategic,” said Muhammad Farhan, Secretary General of YCAB Foundation. “In implementing that education, we also encourage teachers to be actively involved so that they can transfer their knowledge about technology to the next young generation.”
Rony Primanto, Head of Diskominfo’s Information Technology Services Development Division, said, “We are very proud of the teachers and students’ enthusiasm in Microsoft Youthspark in Yogyakarta. We are ready to support the acceleration of Yogyakarta as smart city through implementation of technology education, giving access to internship in the field of technology as well as involve students and teachers to develop apps to serve the people of Yogyakarta. We believe Microsoft YouthSpark can give long-term impact to Yogyakarta.”
As the winner of best gaming app, team members of 10 Senior High School Yogyakarta each received educational support tools, an opportunity to join Jogja Digital Valley and work with the Yogyakarta Government to implement the app as an official app.