Molly O’Keefe/Winonan

Students here at Winona State University are working to come up with innovative solutions to the world’s problems in Microsoft’s 2013 Imagine Cup.

Every year the Imagine Cup brings forward new technology that will help people deal with everyday problems.

Bradley Jensen, principal academic relationship manager at Microsoft Corporation, said, “The Microsoft Imagine Cup is the world’s largest technological competition and we have had as many as 147 different countries compete. It provides a collaborative environment that fosters innovations and solutions that can make a difference in the world.”

The Imagine Cup is divided into three different categories of competition; the Innovation Competition, the World Citizenship Competition and the Games Competition.

The Innovation Competition is looking for the most creative new software applications, while the World Citizenship Competition looks for projects that can greatly benefit mankind.

The Games Competition looks for the best game ideas.

Winona State professor and adviser Patrick Paulson said the deadline for the competition is Mar. 15.

To compete, students must be enrolled in an institution of higher learning and be 16 or older. Up to four members can be on each team.

At the Imagine Cup’s informational meeting last week, Jensen gave students interested in entering some advice. He said, “The best teams are heterogeneous. It is good to have team members from all different disciplines; business, liberal arts, computer science, and such because that is the way the real world works.”

Jensen said the winning team will receive $25,000 and a trip to Saint Petersburg, Russia for the world finals.

Jensen said, “Even if you do not make it to the finals many students in the past have started their own companies and made contacts that have led to getting good jobs.”

Winona State has a few teams entered into this year’s competition. Paulson said, “Last year The Miracle Workers, a team from WSU, got second place at the Seattle Finals and received the People’s Choice Award for their design of a sleeping pad to prevent Sudden Infant Death Syndrome.”

In preparation for the competition the teams are involved in weekly webinars and collaborate with different departments on campus.

Paulson also said, “The students stay connected and share ideas through the Innovation club here on campus.”

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