Tata Consultancy Services (TCS) and Discovery Education are launching the second year of igniting innovation through computational thinking.

The TCS’ Ignite Innovation Student Challenge encourages sixth through eighth-grade students to use computational thinking to create digital solutions that improve the world and solve problems impacting TCS’ three social responsibility pillars: Our Planet, Health, and Education. Digital solution ideas will be communicated through 1-2-minute video entries submitted by April 9, 2020. The winner will receive a $10,000 scholarship and a virtual mentorship with TCS team members and partners.

“TCS is committed to preparing the next generation of young innovators by providing resources to foster their creativity so they can find solutions to societal challenges,” said Balaji Ganapathy, Head of Workforce Effectiveness, TCS. “We’re excited to see the fresh ideas, spirit and innovation that come out of this year’s TCS’ Ignite Innovation Student Challenge.”

Launched in 2017, Ignite My Future in School is an initiative that combines the best of digital content, lesson plans, career vignettes, and professional learning to help teachers prepare their students for careers of the future. The TCS’ Ignite Innovation Student Challenge launched in 2018 connecting computational thinking strategies and real-world problem solving.

Last year’s grand prize winner was eleven-year-old Ryan H. from The Pegasus School in Huntington Beach, CA, who received $10,000 and virtual mentorship from TCS technology experts. Ryan earned recognition for his invention, Early Wildlife Fire Detection Network, an early wildfire detection system that enables firefighters to activate an app on their mobile device using a low-cost wireless field module. In addition to Ryan’s winning innovation, nine other student winners were selected to receive prizes.  

Ignite My Future in School offers educators instructional resources and year-round curriculum support to ensure that computational thinking is embedded into core subjects such as math, sciences, arts and social studies. This interdisciplinary approach helps students to obtain the necessary skills required for 21st century careers across all industries.

On a national level, Ignite My Future in School has a goal of engaging 20,000 teachers and one million US students by 2021. Since the program’s launch, it has reached more than 9,000 teachers and nearly 550,000 students in 100+ school districts across all 50 states. Ignite My Future resources are available at no-cost at ignitemyfutureinschool.org

For more information on the TCS Discovery Education Ignite Innovation Student Challenge, including idea starters, project flow, four-week road map, planning guide, templates, and complete rules, please visit www.IgniteMyFutureInSchool.org/Challenge.