YouthSpark Live (The Confidence Group and Microsoft)

YouthSpark Live is a global community enabling youth to collaborate, inspire and support each other while using technology to spark change. As a participant in this event, you will have a chance to: Engage with government and community leaders representing a variety of perspectives on today's economic and social challenges.  Connect to a network of innovators making a difference in business and society Learn about programs and resources to help you achieve your goals See cutting-edge technologies in action and gain insights on how to apply them.  Join a community working together to bring about positive change. The Four Skills of the 21st Century Learner (Opening Session Keynote) The seventh graders of 2015 will be the first cohort to graduate in the third decade of the 21st Century. Every student after them will be learning, working, and coming of age in a mobile first, cloud first world. Today’s student needs both technical acumen and a core set of skills that will enable them to thrive in this new era. This session is an opportunity to examine whether you are preparing for the new world of work and exploring the careers that will shape the societal landscape over the next half century. Learn the four skills for the future and how to shift student learning for college and career readiness. Career and College: A Planning Session for Today’s Middle and High School Student - (Lunch Panel) Students today are faced with almost limitless options in regards to their future career opportunities and aspirations. But how can youth ensure they are focusing on the options best suited for their skills talents and passions. During this interactive session students will be introduced to concepts and strategies designed to enable success in college and beyond. Hacker Labs (Session A) During this limited seating hack-a-thon styled session students will be provided with an overview of various tools, technologies and methodologies for creating, developing and selling applications. Seasoned developers will guide students through each step of the creation process and discuss careers and opportunities to further refine their interest in this exciting field. Engineering Challenge: Tower Structure Challenge (Session B) Groups will be divided by age into teams of 10-15 and will have a limited time to create a tower structure made from straws, paperclips, rubber bands and other materials supplied by facilitator. The goal of the project is to construct an object capable of holding a standard volleyball. Teams will be scored on tower height, strength and use of materials. Participants will have 45 minutes to complete this activity. Entrepreneurship: The world of the Tech Entrepreneur (Session C) Often times when we think of careers we imagine ourselves working for a company we are familiar with. However, have you ever wondered what it would be like to create the next Dell, Intel, Microsoft, Facebook or Twitter? This session will discuss the world of the tech entrepreneur and provide insight into creating your very own “start-up” company. Fostering Creativity and Academic Exploration with Office Mix, Bing for Education, OneNote, and Windows 10 (Session D) Today’s youth are exposed to a range of options and messages related to the usage of technology. In a world which seemingly introduces new forms of media each day, how can students ensure they are leveraging tools and technologies that enable a safe, reliable, and secure platform to express personal interests, explore intellectual pursuits and achieve academic success? This session provides an overview of cloud based tools and applications, offers tips on computing safety, and introduces solutions that students can leverage to fully engage in the learning process anytime and anywhere.