2019 Student Contests

ENTER #BPSCODERS STUDENT CONTEST!

Entries are accepted through 5pm on Friday, December 20, 2019.

2019 #BPSCoders Challenge Descriptions

We have five challenges for the 2019 #BPSCoders Student Contests. Please read the descriptions and rules carefully before entering! Entry form will be posted on bit.ly/bpscoders from December 9 to 20, 2019.

1. SCRATCH ANIMATION CHALLENGE

Show us your creativity! Create an animation in Scratch that is 2 minutes or less. Animation can go on forever, but one complete sequence must be no more than 2 minutes. Animation should start when the green flag is clicked and should not require any other user interaction. (If the animation requires users to interact, please enter Challenge 2.)

Topic is unrestricted but educational or informational content is preferred.

Please be sure that the Scratch project is "shared" before entering.

2. SCRATCH INTERACTIVE CHALLENGE

Are you a future game designer? Create an animation or game in Scratch that is interactive (e.g., user must click on something or answer questions). Be sure to include instructions in your Project Page; we can't judge a project if we don't know how to interact with it!

Educational games or programs are preferred.

Please be sure that the Scratch project is "shared" before entering.

3. PHYSICAL COMPUTING CHALLENGE

This challenge is for the inventors! Design and create a device or robot with original programming and submit a video that shows how it works. Devices may use any physical computing hardware including: LEGO WeDo or Mindstorms, MakeyMakey, Micro:bit, Arduino, BeeBots, Sphero, etc.

Video must be 2 minutes long or less and include:

The device in action
Description of what the device does
A view of the computer/tablet with the program visible

Devices with real-life applications are preferred.

4. APPS CHALLENGE

Have you ever wished that "there was an app for that"? Tell us about it! Design an app or program that helps people and send us the idea as Google Slides. ACTUAL CODE IS NOT REQUIRED; however, you can submit a screenshot if you have the actual code.

Submissions must be in Google Slides format and include both text and graphics. Maximum of 6 slides. Please include:

Name and description of the proposed App
Explain how it helps people
At least one graphic illustrating what the screen may look like
Diagram (i.e., flowchart) showing the navigation of the app

Images may be hand-sketched and imported into Google Slide.

5. ESSAY CONTEST

Tell us why you are excited about Computer Science! This contest is only for students in grades 9-12.

Please answer one of the following prompts in under 500 words:

1. What does “computer science” mean to you? Once limited to Computer Science courses, we now see computer science thriving in the social sciences, life sciences, and humanities classrooms. What role does computer science play in your education, and how might it inform your career plans?

2. Who is/are your computer science role model(s)? CS Ed Week is held in recognition of the birthday of computing pioneer Admiral Grace Murray Hopper, but there are many other scientists who have made crucial contributions to the field. Who inspires you and why?

3. Why is it important to see greater diversity, equity, and inclusion in the computer science field? Today in 2019 there is a clear lack of diversity within technology and computer science fields. Why do you think it is important for there to be greater diversity in computer science (diversity may include cultural/racial, gender, socio-economic, and more)?

Each submission must respond to one of the writing prompts above in 500 words or less and demonstrate critical thinking about the topic you are discussing. Higher scoring essays will include personal examples and insights. In addition, judges will consider grammar, organization, syntax, and clarity of content and ideas. Essays can be submitted as Google Doc, Word, or PDF.

Download printable flyer here

Rules and "Fine Print": PLEASE READ CAREFULLY!

All submissions must be received between December 9-20, 2019, through the online submission form. Submitted project may be previously-completed work; however, projects that were submitted in previous years' contests are not eligible.

Scratch Challenges and the Essay Contest must be submitted as individuals. Physical Computing and Apps Challenges may be submitted as individuals or pairs.

One entry per student/pair, per challenge. If we receive multiple entries from the same student/pair, only the latest one will be considered.

All work must be be done by the student or student pairs that are submitting. Submitted work must not contain any copyrighted or trademarked materials, including images and sound clips.

All BPS students are eligible to enter, regardless of whether the work was done in school or outside of school. However, all applications must include your BPS teacher's or BPS staff's contact information.

Student Contest FAQ's

Q. I'm a teacher submitting entries for the whole class. Do I need to fill out a separate form for each student?

A. Teachers with more than 10 entries FOR THE SAME CHALLENGE can submit a batch using Scratch Studio or Google Drive Folder. Please contact bpscomputerscience@bostonpublicschools.org for details.

Q. How do I submit a video or image?

A. Video, image, and other artifacts are submitted from the Submission Form (Google Form). Please have the artifact on your computer or Google Drive so that you can find it when you are completing the form.

Q. How do I submit a Scratch project?

A. Scratch projects are submitted via a link (URL) to your project. Please make sure that your project is "shared" and remains shared during the judging period.

Q. I'm not sure which category my coding project falls under. What should I do?

A. Email us at bpscomputerscience@bostonpublicschools.org and we'll help you figure it out! We also, at times, recategorize projects after they are submitted if we feel there is a better fit.

Q. How many prizes are there, and what are they?

A. The exact number of prizes and the prize will depend on the number of submissions and donations that we receive.

The 2019 #BPSCoders Student Contests are sponsored by Boston SIM.

Questions about HOC@BPS? Contact us at bpscomputerscience@bostonpublicschools.org.

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