Yogyakarta, January 28th, 2015 – Microsoft YouthSpark was back! After giving the initial introduction of coding to 1,000 youth in Yogyakarta last November, a team of Microsoft Innovation Center (MIC) also provided the opportunity for 320 students and 80 teachers to receive specific training on idea generation.
Microsoft YouthSpark presented in Yogyakarta with the theme of idea generation to help young people develop a wide range of creative ideas that can support the development of the city of Yogyakarta as a smart city – the city which can develop and be independent with the support of technology. Through these activities, YouthSpark encourages participants to have strategic thinking patterns, so participants might generate creative ideas and solution.
“We are very pleased and proud to see many ideas had been created in YouthSpark, especially during YouthSpark Idea Generation. We hope this event is able to encourage young people and teachers to think creatively, logical, and structured, “said Esther Sianipar, Community Affairs Manager, Microsoft Indonesia.
Activities that are a result of cooperation between Microsoft Indonesia with the Faculty of Social and Political Sciences, University of Gadjah Mada (UGM), Microsoft Innovation Center (MIC), and YCAB Foundation have increasingly asserted the commitment of organizations and institutions in the field of education for developing the potential and talents of the younger generation.
“YouthSpark Idea Generation is able to gather the creativity and curiosity of the participants in a fun way. We expect this activity to encourage young people of Indonesia to continue to improve their capabilities in technology. This is important because the ability to use the technology has evolved into major capabilities required in today’s digital era,” said Firza Imam Putra, Chief Operating Officer, YCAB Foundation.
As one of the facilitators in YouthSpark Idea Generation, Dedy Permadi, Managing Director of the Center for Digital Society, FISIPOL UGM expressed his belief in the potential of young people to support the development of Yogyakarta as a smart city, through the mastery of technology and the ability to think logically, strategically and creatively.
Yogyakarta has long been known as the city of students with diverse talents. YouthSpark activities focused on learning technologies and logical thinking processes and ideally will continue to help improve the talents of young people in Yogyakarta and Indonesia, so that cities in Indonesia are capable of developing into a smart city, “said Dedy.
It does not stop at the stage of idea generation, YouthSpark Yogyakarta, which lasts until May 2016 will also choose the best application ideas. A collection of ideas and more than 250 participants will be selected by Microsoft Indonesia and YCAB Foundation to support the training so that the ideas can be realized into a real application.
Further information about YouthSpark can be seen in www.microsoft.com/youthsparkhub