AppBridge—a US-based non-profit organization dedicated to bringing low-cost apps that help thrust education, employment and economic opportunity—in cooperation with Globe and its wholly-owned subsidiary Kickstart Ventures, recently conducted the first Ideas and Apps Challenge that aims to produce ideas and apps that tackle social challenges in the country.
The competition is divided into two parts—the Ideas Challenge and the Apps Challenge. In the Ideas leg, participants had to propose innovative solutions to the country’s issues using mobile communications. One of five key themes has to be satisfied, namely: education; wellness, health and humanitarian relief; job skills enhancement and employability; entrepreneurship; and active citizenship and good governance.
Team Codetoki, the winner of the Ideas leg, decided to focus on employment issues.
Out of 50,000 Information Technology and Computer Science graduates, only eight percent are employable. Team Codetoki sees this as a severe problem and wants to make IT graduates more competent by giving them a chance to join tech events, test their skills on real projects and to get internships in well-respected companies. This would give them early exposure and would hopefully increase their chances of employment.
In the Apps leg, participants must build mobile or web-based applications that could improve the lives of people who are in need or at risk. The Apps leg will test if participants can put their ideas into action.
Kickstart President Minette Navarrete called on more participants to join the Apps phase to see if Filipinos have what it takes to build real-world mobile solutions to the country’s issues. Those who are interested may submit their entries online at www.appbridge.org/philippines. Submission of apps will continue through the month of August.
The results will be announced on September 10, just in time for the World Economic Forum Summit in China and the Clinton Global Initiative Annual Meeting in New York. Cash and a whole lot of other prizes are up for grabs for the winners of both the Ideas Challenge and the Apps Challenge.
The winners will be determined by a pool of judges. Apps will be distributed through the Globe’s network so the people’s vote will also count.