mSchools will acknowledge the top apps developed by students by sending them to tech camps

• The winners of the second edition of the mSchools App Awards will enjoy the first technological summer camp designed to expand programming knowledge and pedagogically follow up on the contents studied during the school year
• The winners will be announced on 5 June at the App Award Contest, where Catalonian students will present the apps they have developed in the classroom

May 27, 2015

Mobile World Capital Barcelona, in collaboration with the Regional Government of Catalonia, the City of Barcelona, and GSMA, organises the second edition of the mSchools App Awards Contest. In its first stage this mobile applications competition, held annually as part of the “App Education” course, has produced a total of 134 projects created by 4th-year ESO, secondary school and vocational training students. This figure represents a 55% increase in participation with respect to the event’s first edition.

On 5 June, at the TecnoCampus in Mataró, 32 finalist teams will present their mobile application prototypes at an exhibition venue that, simulating a fairground, will allow them to interact with both attendees and the competition’s judges. A panel of professionals will recognise the most innovative apps in four categories: robotics and device control, leisure and personal management, educational applications, and services for the community and citizens. For each one of them two projects will be recognised: one developed by 4th-year ESO students, and the other by secondary school or vocational training students, participating for the first time in the competition. A ninth prize will also be presented, to be determined by a popular vote amongst event attendees.

Promoting technological training

The members of the 9 winning groups, around 45 students, will be awarded a stay at the mSchools Tech Camp. These technological camps will first be held at the Casa de Colònies Dom Bosco complex in Castellnou de Bages from 18 to 26 of July, where these youngsters will enjoy a complete immersion in the world of mobile technology and application design, combined with leisure and recreational activities.

The experience, designed specifically for the student winners of the mSchools App Awards Contest, will allow them to work with teachers who are experts in technology, programming, design, creativity and entrepreneurship, among other areas.

The winners of the App Awards Contest will also receive a Chromebook, courtesy of Zurich, a device with which they will work at the summer campus, while Xnergic will also offer prizes to all the student finalists. 

“App Education”

One of the mSchools programme’s initiatives is “App Education”, a computer science elective taught at more than 300 secondary schools across Catalonia. During the 2014-2015 academic year a total of 11,150 secondary school students, mainly 4^th-year ESO pupils, followed the programme and 8 vocational training centres joined the initiative for the first time. This incorporation has allowed 500 vocational training students in fields related to Computer science, Administration and Management, Commerce and Graphic Arts to also take the course.

“App Education” centres on the conceptualisation, design and development of mobile application prototypes. The aim is for students to come up with and develop creative concepts in the form of applications that provide solutions to problems in their areas and which improve daily habits.

mSchools is an initiative backed by Mobile World Capital Barcelona in collaboration with the Regional Government of Barcelona, the City of Barcelona and GSMA.

bits quotidians.

mSchools és una iniciativa impulsada per Mobile World Capital Barcelona, amb la col·laboració de la Generalitat de Catalunya, l’Ajuntament de Barcelona i GSMA.