Need a Reason to Invest in Asia’s Youth? How About 750 Million!

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Did you know that 60 percent of the globe’s youth reside in Asia? That’s 750 million young men and women from all walks of life, brimming with curiosity, imagination and fresh perspectives on how to tackle a wide range of challenges. They have access to a treasure trove of computing power in their back pockets, so just imagine the possibilities if we could empower them to make the most of the technology they already have at their fingertips to make a difference in their communities.

That is where Microsoft YouthSpark comes in to invest in our youth and equip them with the knowledge and skills they will need for the future, including an appreciation of Computer Science and the adoption of a computational thinking mindset, plus access to tools and resources to help kick-start their future.

 

Coding Ambitions Inspired by a Cartoon

Meet Jason Chee, whose journey as a coder began in the unlikeliest of ways: by taking study breaks watching Netflix and falling in love with My Little Pony, the top rated show on the site at that time. After failing to find apps for Windows Phone, Jason decided to develop his own My Little Pony apps.

The experience reaffirmed his passion for Computer Science, resulting in him pursuing the course full-time at Singapore Polytechnic. While at school, Jason joined the Microsoft Student Partner (MSP) programme, where he helped to plan events like We Tech Care and various hackathons and eventually worked his way to becoming a Program Lead.

Much to his surprise, Jason was named MSP of the Year at the recent Imagine Cup finals. He humbly credited his success and recognition to the programme itself—the mentoring from experts, the comradery of his fellow MSPs, as well as the subscriptions to licenses for Microsoft services like Office 365 and Azure that helped inspire his development work.

Read more about how programmes like YouthSpark are helping to close the opportunity divide for youth across the region, Jason’s coding journey and the Microsoft Imagine Cup winners from Asia who are changing the world, one line of code at a time—all on the Asia Pacific News Centre here.

Congratulations to Jason and all the Imagine Cup winners from Asia. You are an inspiration to many!