The Imagine Cup Local Competition

Go head-to-head with your fellow Canadians in the Imagine Cup local competition. Put your ideas, your passion for technology, and your know-how to the test in two local categories: Software Design and Windows Phone 7 Game Design. By entering one of these two categories, you’re automatically entered in both the local competition and the worldwide competition. What’s up for grabs? Everything from a trip to Toronto for the Canadian Finals, and a trip to Australia for the Worldwide Finals, to Windows Phone 7 devices, Xbox Kinect Bundles and opportunities to boost your career. Ready to take on the challenge?

Register for the Imagine Cup now »

Software Design	Windows Phone 7 Game Design
The Software Design Competition is all about creating real-world applications and solutions that can help make the world a better place. Using Microsoft tools and technology, student competitors can unleash their ideas and technical talent to create cutting-edge software applications. The winning team in the local competition will win a trip to Australia to compete in the Worldwide Finals. We know you have the knowledge, the passion, and the drive to make a difference.	Multiplayer or single player, 3-D or 2-D—the structure of the game is entirely up to you. But the goal all comes back to one thing: using the power of technology to help solve the world’s toughest problems. The Windows Phone 7 Game Design Competition gives you the opportunity to hone your video game design skills, and potentially showcase your talent on the world stage—the top 10 international teams will win a trip to Australia to compete in the Worldwide Finals. Changing the world just became a lot more fun!
Prizing includes: A trip to Australia for the Worldwide Finals (1st Place) Xbox Kinect Bundles Career/Mentorship Opportunities And much more! See the rules and regulations for details »	Prizing Includes: Windows Phone 7 devices (1st place) Xbox Kinect Bundles Career/Mentorship Opportunities And much more! See the rules and regulations for details »
Key Dates Round 1 Preliminary Summary Deadline – March 13, 2012 Round 2 Submission Deadline – April 8, 2012 Canadian Finals – April 30, 2012 Worldwide Finals – July 6-10, 2012 Please Note: These dates are subject to change. Get involved »	Key Dates Round 1 Preliminary Summary Deadline – February 14, 2012 Round 2 Submission Deadline – March 13, 2012 Canadian Finals – April 30, 2012 Worldwide Finals – July 6-10, 2012 Round 3 Submission Deadline: April 8, 2012 Please Note: These dates are subject to change. Get involved »

For complete details, please see the rules and regulations for Software Design, or Windows Phone 7 Game Design.

What is the Imagine Cup?

Challenges are all around us-world hunger, disease, environmental change. But when met with a powerful idea, obstacles can become opportunities. Imagine Cup is a competition for student teams who combine inspiration with technology to tackle some of the world’s toughest problems.

Each year, thousands of students compete from countries around the globe. Since the Imagine Cup started in 2003, students have come up with amazing solutions that use technology to improve education, help environmental sustainability, help reduce poverty and child mortality, among others.

This year, the Imagine Cup will celebrate its 10th anniversary and we’re looking forward to sharing this important milestone with you in Australia.

Register for the Imagine Cup now »

Imagine Cup 2012

Imagine Cup is one of the world’s premier technology competition for students in which they combine inspiration with technology to help solve some of the world’s toughest problems.

There are six categories that you can enter this year to get to the Worldwide Finals:

• Software Design
• Game Design: Phone
• Game Design: Xbox/Windows
• IT Challenge
• Windows Azure Challenge
• Windows Phone Challenge

Learn more about the categories and important dates »

Show us what you can do-this is your chance to step up, stand out and make a difference!
Register for the Imagine Cup now »

The 2012 Theme

"Imagine a world where technology helps solve the toughest problems."
Learn more about the Imagine Cup theme »

Learn New Skills. Make New Friends. Change The World.

The Imagine Cup challenges students to imagine a better world enabled by technology and then helps bring the best ideas to life. Here’s why you should you enter the competition:

Cash Grants
Winning teams can receive cash grants, mentoring and other support needed to make their dream a reality. Past winners have attracted venture capital and opened businesses based on their entries. The 2011 Imagine Cup worldwide finals held in New York in July 2011 saw cash prizes of $215,000 awarded, and the announcement of a $3 million, 3 year grant to help students’ entry ideas come to life.

Help Make the World a Better Place
Previous winners created a diverse range of ideas from an application that helps search-and-rescue teams coordinate their efforts during natural disasters, to a video game encouraging people to volunteer, and navigation software allowing physically-disabled people to overcome obstacles by identifying barrier-free routes through cities.

Get Recognized as a Future Leader
Making it to the finals has kick-started many careers, helping students stand out from the competition. The skills and experience gained while developing their ideas, the confidence that comes with presenting their innovations in front of their global peers, and the access they get to influential business leaders has been life-changing for many contestants.

Register for the Imagine Cup now »

Mentors and Faculty

Inspire students to help change the world through technology!
Each team that enters the Imagine Cup must nominate a mentor-someone to inspire them, answer their questions and guide them through the competition. Mentors are usually faculty members from the school the team attends, but can also be industry experts who wish to support the next generation of student developers.

Mentors can’t come up with the solutions-that's the students' job-but they can provide a forum to brainstorm, remind students of important dates, and challenge students to think big and follow their dreams.

The Imagine Cup can also make a great addition to the syllabus for faculty members. Set assignments to come up with ideas that can be entered into the competition, and show them videos and case studies of past winners for inspiration.

Your students can make a difference-they just need your help!

Why should you become a mentor?

Besides helping students succeed and build a better world, it’s also a chance to:

• Help students apply their knowledge beyond the classroom
• Showcase your school as a premier technology institution
• Be seen as an agent of change, leading students to achieve great things

Should your team succeed, you’ll be with them every step of the way—Microsoft will fly you and your team to the Worldwide Finals in Sydney, Australia.

Register now to become an Imagine Cup mentor »

Have further questions about how to get involved?
Contact the Imagine Cup Team »