You have one more month! The National STEM Video Game Challenge is open and ready to receive original video games and game designs from students in grades 5-12 until the deadline of April 24. The challenge is presented by the Joan Ganz Cooney Center at Sesame Workshop and E-Line Media , and Microsoft’s...

SimCity is a rich and immersive experience for students learning the complexities and subtleties of the world we live in. From the decisions of where to place a road to what your city should have as a specialization, SimCity makes the complex decisions of our national, state, and local leaders approachable...

The New Era of Digital Learning was fully on display in London early this week, when educators became developers for 24 hours in the first-ever Windows 8 App-a-thon at the British Education Technology & Training (BETT) Show. On Monday, January 28th and Tuesday, January 29th, 21 Partners in Learning...

Last week the International Labour Organization released its latest figures on global employment , and the picture was bleak, especially for young people. The report showed almost 74 million youths unemployed globally with many more facing long-term unemployment. Unfortunately this is the tip of the...

(Cross post from the Microsoft on the Issues blog .) Posted by Brad Smith General Counsel & Executive Vice President, Legal & Corporate Affairs, Microsoft The United States faces a growing economic challenge – a substantial and increasing shortage of individuals with the skills needed...

Penn High School students use gamification to solve real-world STEM challenges. Annually, Microsoft hosts America’s innovative educators at its Microsoft Partners in Learning US Forum. The US Forum is an opportunity for educators to showcase and exchange their best practices in teaching and learning...

West Allegheny High School teacher and students set the national high bar for innovative learning through STEM in Imperial, PA. Annually, Microsoft hosts America’s innovative educators at its Microsoft Partners in Learning US Forum. The US Forum is an opportunity for educators to showcase and exchange...

Received this from the CSTA Mailing list yesterday and thought it worth sharing. Do you know someone who is doing an outstanding job of mentoring or a mentoring program that is doing a great job with bringing underrepresented minorities into STEM fields? If so you may want to nominate them for the Presidential...

(repost from the Microsoft Corporate Citizenship blog) By Gretchen Deo, Citizenship & Public Affairs, Microsoft Recently I sat with a group of 22 kids from Rainier Beach High School & South Shore Middle School who were on Microsoft’s campus in Redmond for the day. The kids were here...

The Anita Borg Institute for Women and Technology has opened nominations for the A. Richard Newton Educator Award to recognize educators who engage in new, innovative and successful practices and programs to attract more women and girls into STEM fields.  I really believe that finding, highlighting...

Consumer robotics may represent the next era in computer science and consumer electronics. This is the week to learn more about what’s next in Robotics. National Robotics Week 2012 Movies have depicted our future with robotics through cinema history.  Some of you may remember the robots from science...

New technologies from Microsoft Research are enabling scientists, researchers, and citizen scientists to build better narratives with big data. I talk with a lot of education stakeholders about Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics (collectively STEM) Education weekly.  There is an urgent...

Today, I’m excited to have the opportunity to be in Chicago with Mayor Rahm Emanuel, Chicago Public Schools CEO Jean-Claude Brizard, and City Colleges of Chicago Chancellor Cheryl Hyman, as they announce the creation five new Early College STEM Schools that will focus on technology skills and career...

Kinect is the fastest selling consumer electronic product ever. Its success offers proof that technology innovation is only limited by our willingness to invest in big ideas. It is critical that we foster innovation by inspiring the next generation of innovators, and changing the way we ensure they’re...

This week, Robert Youngjohns, President, Microsoft North America, addressed the top 50 science, technology, engineering and mathematic (STEM) students at Morehouse College in Atlanta, Ga., on how they can prepare for rewarding careers in the technology industry. “The technology industry is such...

For 30 years, we have talked about the digital divide and its impact on education in the United States. Yet the gaps remain, even as the very nature of digital technology has changed. Why is this problem so hard to solve, and what is holding us back? The need to close the technology gap has never...

I had the privilege and opportunity this morning to attend Washington, D.C. Mayor Vincent Gray’s bi-weekly press conference where he announced a strategic partnership with Microsoft to bring increased technology access, education and training to students, residents and small businesses of D.C....

Kinect for Windows will be commercially available Feb 1. What does this mean for classroom learning? Related posts: You Can Judge A Book By Its Sensors Can XBOX 360 Turn Anyone into a Rock Star? Kinecting with Innovative Educator Johnny Kissko [updated] ...read more

Computer science students have almost limitless opportunities when building with Microsoft developer tools. For Computer Science Education Week, I have attempted to bring all of those tools and resources to Higher Innovation. Start building your app today! Related posts: Thank you, Mommy Visual Studio...

Computer Science Education Week is a great time to begin learning about Windows 8 and the new Windows Store for apps. Get started building the next hot app today. Related posts: Developer Jobs for America with Windows 8 Peeking Into Windows 8 [updated] Visual Studio 2010 Built On Windows Presentation...

From Avatar to Zynga, Computer Science is an integral part of our lives in leisure, learning, and labor. This week, Higher Innovation focuses on every aspect of CS Education in the modern world...find out more after the break. Related posts: MYSCIENCE. The Consumerization of Science [updated] PowerPoint...

This week I received an announcement about yet another “STEM Summit.” My first reaction was - are these STEM Summits just “preaching to the choir?” Now as a preacher’s kid the term “preaching to the choir” has real meaning to me. On one hand it means talking to the already converted – those who already...

Last Saturday I spend the day at Windham High School in Windham New Hampshire for the second annual NH TechFest . TechFest is a project  created by parents and others interested in making sure that students are exposed to information about STEM (Science Technology Engineering and Math) careers in...

(cross-posted from the Microsoft Unlimited Potential blog ) Lili Cheng is general manager of Microsoft’s Future Social Experiences (FUSE) Labs This summer my research team had six incredible interns, four women and two men. As they head back to college, and as I look at my own two high school...

Today, we are very excited to share the news that Washington state and the Commonwealth of Virginia are officially launching statewide Microsoft IT Academy programs to all high school students to make sure they graduate with IT skills they need to compete for jobs. Technology skills are increasingly...