Is your family donating toys to a shelter? Are you and your colleagues sponsoring a family this holiday season? Did your neighbor help another hang his lights? Snap photos of good deeds being done in your area and share them via Twitter with the #Goodspotting hash tag. Not only will your images serve as inspiration for anyone who sees them (and hopefully cause them to catch the giving bug), but you also automatically become enrolled in a cash giveaway, sponsored by the Case Foundation.

At Microsoft, we love the idea of giving in a hands-on, active way, and #Goodspotting embodies that mindset. We know that Silicon Valley residents have been especially charitable this holiday season – so get out there and document it!

In Silicon Valley, Imagine Cup team Tesla from San Jose State University was a previous finalist for the software design competition. The Tesla project consisted of a business intelligence tool that helped analyze the electrical consumption of computer systems to maximize power efficiency.

This year’s U.S. Imagine Cup will expand its traditional program offerings to inspire and engage student entrepreneurs. 

The 2013 U.S. Imagine Cup will be broken into a series of competitions and challenges to get students building business-ready apps, games, and technology services.   For the first time ever, the U.S. program will feature a two-month mentorship opportunity, called the “Imagine Cup Student Accelerator,” where teams will spend time with mentors, participate in workshops and get the technical guidance they need to test their idea and business model.

New Competitions and Challenges in 2013

Students ages 16 and older will be able to compete in three major competition categories, which include:

• Games – Using Microsoft’s gaming platforms such as Windows PC (PC or touchscreen), Windows Phone, Xbox, Indie Games, or Kinect SDK students are tasked with creating a new game, changing a current genre or developing a new visual style of game.
• Innovation –Reinvent social networks, transform online shopping, experience music in a new way or do something amazing with GPS. In this category, students are tasked with using their skills and creativity to design a totally new app experience.
• World Citizenship – Students have the opportunity to create an app that will help solve global challenges, such as reducing world hunger, providing better treatment for diseases, raising awareness of environmental issues or providing better access to education.

Additionally, students can participate in online challenges that focus on specific Microsoft platforms, including Windows 8 Apps, Windows Azure and Windows Phone.  Winners of the competition and online challenges will be sent to the worldwide finals in St. Petersburg, Russia, in July 2013.

U.S. Imagine Cup Accelerator

The Student Accelerator Program will equip and enable top talent to build new apps on Windows 8, Windows Phone 8, and Microsoft Azure.  Entries into the program will be reviewed by a panel of judges and 25 teams will be admitted into the Accelerator Program where they will engage in a two month mentorship program with Microsoft.  This mentorship program will include technical training and workshops to create a prototype and build a go-to-market plan.  The 25 teams will also have the opportunity to participate in a five-day, in-person “Start-Up School” in Silicon Valley paid for by Microsoft. At the end of the program, selected teams will be invited to pitch ideas to a community of investors and technology industry professionals at the U.S. Imagine Cup Business Accelerator Demo Day in the Silicon Valley area. Students can learn more about the U.S. Imagine Cup Accelerator program at www.imaginecup.com/us.

More Financial Rewards for U.S. Students

In addition to offering students an opportunity to impact today’s world with technology, Microsoft has upped the ante by offering more than $100,000 in prizes. This is the largest amount of cash prizes in U.S. Imagine Cup history.  Specific prizes for the US Imagine Cup can be found here.  All submissions for online challenges are due on January 15, 2013, while submissions for the three major competitions are due on March 15, 2013.

On April 15, 2013, Microsoft will host local finals around with world, with the U.S. finals being held in Silicon Valley.  The 10 Imagine Cup finalists will be invited to participate in Demo Day, which takes place May 13, 2013. From there, the finalists attending the Worldwide Finals in St. Petersburg, Russia, will be announced on May 15, 2013. The Worldwide Finals in Russia take place July 8-12, 2013.

The future is now, which makes for the perfect time for students to start turning their dreams into realities. Please visit Microsoft’s Imagine Cup website for more information on the competition and details on registration.

Community investment is an integral part of Microsoft’s DNA. In October, Microsoft celebrated its 30^th Employee Giving Campaign, which Microsoft supports by matching employee volunteer time at $17 per hour and dollar-for-dollar charitable contributions to all eligible nonprofits, up to $12,000 per employee. The Silicon Valley campus reached record participation this year with 83 percent of employees contributing to their favorite charities.

Microsoft employees volunteering with Hands on Bay Area

And we try to make it easy as possible by bringing giving activities right to our employees. Recently, several groups of Microsoft employee volunteers gathered at the Silicon Valley campus to build a total of 752 science kits, which one of our nonprofit partners, Hands on Bay Area, will distribute to local educators.

We find that when employees put in sweat equity and actively give, they become especially passionate about their chosen charitable cause or organization. Employees who participated in the science kit building events echo that sense of commitment:

• Steve Tung: “It is truly inspiring to see your peers, management, and executives place community outreach as the number one priority, regardless of our business-related tasks and responsibilities.”
• Sarah Ferrero: “Knowing how much more valuable my volunteering has become gives me an added incentive to make sure I donate what I can. The community we live in is defined by its members, which means that any changes we want to see need to start with us.”
• Oner Onder: “Microsoft not only supports the giving campaign by matching volunteer hours and donations, but it also provides…opportunities for people to find…where the need is. Not every company has this much impact on the communities they work in.”

What are you giving this Giving Tuesday? And how can you keep it going all year round? The official Giving Tuesday site offers lots of resources to help you get you, your family or your business involved…so get out and give!

“Playing with Math” is a 10-day residency program that brings the fundamentals of sequencing and patterning lessons alive through movement, acting, and singing. Students demonstrate the mathematic concepts they’ve learned through active, creative expression – and get a kinesthetic workout in the process.

“I believe that our schools need to instill a sense that math can be active, engaging and most of all creative. We also need to establish a link between math and having just plain fun,” said Mary Sutton, director of education at TheatreWorks Silicon Valley. ”Adding this program to our array of arts integration offerings has been a huge success this year. I’m so pleased a program the TheatreWorks education department has developed can help teachers engage students with the love of math.”

Want to learn more about Playing with Math, and TheatreWorks? Visit the organization online at www.theatreworks.org to help support the intersection of creativity, fine arts and in-classroom learning. 

Latinos hold unprecedented political power in this year’s U.S. elections. Experts forecast that more than 12.2 million Latino voters will cast ballots on November 6, an increase of 26 percent over 2008.

Our community represents an increasingly powerful voting bloc. We are starting to wield significant influence, which is forcing people to take notice. With that power comes the responsibility to carefully decide what agenda we want to champion. I want to see us double-down on education, especially in the areas of science, technology, engineering and mathematics.

Too many Latino communities struggle with high drop-out rates, low teacher pay, inflated class size, and a lack of basic resources like text books, lab equipment and in-classroom technology. We must continue to force our policy makers to focus on these issues. We’re going to hear promises from politicians on both sides of the aisle about the future wellbeing of our children. But there are several specific areas where we, as Latinos, must hold policy makers’ feet to the fire; namely ensuring that young Latinos are prepared for the workforce and technological world of tomorrow. There are a few areas where we must improve our focus.

In Santa Clara County, where I work and live, Latinos are struggling to keep pace. In 2011 only 18 percent of Latino 8th grade students were proficient in algebra. It’s a local statistic representative of a broader challenge we face. STEM is the key to developing students into qualified candidates for future high-tech jobs. The U.S. Department of Commerce predicts that over the next decade, STEM occupations are projected to grow by 17 percent, compared to 9.8 percent growth in other sectors. If our youth aren’t prepared to fill that gap, we’ll miss a huge opportunity.

We need to support organizations that train the future workforce in STEM disciplines. For example, Microsoft is a passionate supporter of The Tech Museum, a San Jose-based institution that offers incredible hands-on learning and interactive exhibits. Latino students and their parents learn together and apply the concepts of math and science to real-life situations, while fostering problem-solving and critical thinking skills.

Without technology in the classroom and readily available to our youth, the practical application of STEM skills simply isn’t possible. Research has shown that computer use among youth positively correlates with the development of cognitive skills and academic performance. Tactical, hands-on experience with technology is a crucial way students can practice, reinforce and refine essential STEM skills. Look for organizations that provide children a framework for STEM application, and support them with your time, donations or by getting the children in your life involved with them.

For example, Latinas Contra Cancer is San Jose-based nonprofit that teaches young Latina women to code and build mobile applications. The apps are then used to provide information to the community about cancer. This is the epitome of practical application. When technologies and training are put into the hands of young people who might otherwise never have had the experience, a unique path of opportunity, growth and success opens up to them.

We are an especially resourceful community, thanks to the challenges we – and our parents and grandparents – have faced in seizing equal educational, employment and economic opportunities. The 2010 United States Census Bureau revealed that Latino-owned businesses reached 2.3 billion, and increased 43.7 percent between 2002 and 2007 – more than twice the national rate of 18 percent. With entrepreneurialism as a shared value, we have the power to motivate our children to own their economic successes.

We need to support nonprofits in our communities whose mission is to light the entrepreneurial fire within young people. Recommend these programs to the youths in your life. BUILD, a Silicon Valley organization which uses entrepreneurship to inspire disengaged, low income students, has chapters in several major metro locations. Junior Achievement is one of the most impactful organizations dedicated to this issue, with more than 120 Junior Achievement Areas in the United States. Find one in your locale and learn what you can do to inspire one of its students.

We need to continue to model and teach entrepreneurship. The most fundamental thing you can do is to encourage youth to pursue their dreams and actively participate in making them reality. Motivational, one-on-one support from parents, teachers, coaches and mentors is proven to positively impact children’s perceptions of what they can achieve in school and work.

However you vote on November 6th, be sure you encourage policy makers to fight for the educational opportunities Latinos need. Let’s work together to advance our community now and to change its future, beginning with the opportunities and inspiration we present to our children.

On October 6, more than 500 volunteers of all ages joined Canopy and Microsoft at Brentwood Academy in East Palo Alto to plant 110 trees.

The newly-planted shade and fruit trees will provide over 500 students at Brentwood Academy with a welcoming learning environment.

Trees don’t simply provide shade and aesthetics – they also help improve concentration among children with ADD and ADHD and have shown to lower asthma rates.

The trees at Brentwood Academy marked the successful completion of Canopy’s “Healthy Tress, Healthy Kids!” initiative, to plant 1,000 trees for kids by 2015, three years ahead of schedule!

“Healthy Tress, Healthy Kids!” was initiated to bring equality to local school campuses, particularly in tree-poor schools.

Microsoft Silicon Valley is proud to be part of the “Healthy Tress, Healthy Kids!” initiative – providing shade, a green environment and countless other benefits to schools and students in Palo Alto, East Palo Alto, Menlo Park and neighboring communities for decades to come.

To learn more about Canopy, visit www.canopy.org. 

We sat down with Dan to discuss his thoughts on how to motivate employees and team members to rally around a cause – to not only reach into their pockets, but to get out and do something to make a difference.

• Show them it matters. Dan and another of our all-star giving advocates, Susan Catan, canvassed the campus for two days, recruiting registrants.  Encouraging participation with live and familiar faces as opposed to solely email – plus offering a discount to on-campus registrants – helped dramatically improve this year’s registration numbers. We also reinforced our commitment by following up with registrants to make sure they had all questions answered before the event.  
• Plan to promote. Get the word out through every company communications channel possible and get in front of those deadlines. Find out your company’s newsletter schedule and be sure your event information is submitted on time, place posters, and send company-wide emails to remind and recruit.
• Call on the village. Dan says that in 2013 he plans to get more people involved in the front-end of volunteer coordination. First, form an employee citizenship group to enlist others in the company to inspire the broader team and delegate tasks. Second, work directly with administrative staff to communicate and build upon the power they have to motivate those around them.

“It’s wonderful to offer money, but if you don’t get the hands and feet of your company involved, the contribution isn’t sustainable,” says Costello. “When a corporate sponsor acts as an active citizen, it models what we want from our employees and our community – giving by doing.”

• Prepping kids for STEM: STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics) proficiency is the key to our youths’ success in the job market of tomorrow.  Microsoft Silicon Valley supports local programs, including ALearn, The Tech Museum’s Family Math & Engineering Program, and the Hispanic Youth Institute, which equip children and teens with the skills to pursue advanced careers.

Additionally, the Microsoft IT Academy provides students with the technology skills they need to be successful academically and professionally later in life. The Microsoft IT Academy Program is a college- and career-ready education program available to all accredited academic institutions, designed to provide students with the skills to compete in today’s rapidly evolving workplace.

We also believe in calling on the expertise of diverse voices to continue finding solutions for helping students, particularly those from disadvantaged backgrounds, achieve STEM fluency. In July, we hosted key business leaders at the 2012 Silicon Valley STEM Summit to promote and discuss STEM education in the Valley.

• Rewarding innovative thinking: The world’s premier student tech competition, the Microsoft Imagine Cup 2013, is now open for registration to students 16 years and older. The Imagine Cup recognizes the inspiration, innovation and imagination used by students to address some of the world’s toughest problems. What’s so valuable about this competition is that it rewards not just technical or academic excellence, but the creative problem solving so crucial in an innovation-based marketplace. This year’s program sets the stage for an even broader spectrum of student submissions and offers $300,000 in prize money, more than double 2012’s offerings.

• Offering academic tools and supplies: Locally, we’ve participated in the Family Giving Tree’s Backpack Drive, which gathers backpacks containing basic school supplies for low-income students in the Bay Area.  Microsoft employees donated twice as many backpacks as they did last year, and contribute thousands in cash donations annually – which translates into hundreds more backpacks. Microsoft Corporation doubles the impact of these donations by matching employee contributions.

• Supporting the front line: Did you realize that our local teachers spend, on average, $40 per month on classroom essentials? We – and you – can easily support them through DonorsChoose, a longtime Microsoft partner and online giving platform connecting classrooms in need with generous donors. A $10 automatic monthly donation could ease the financial burden of your favorite teacher by 25%!

Microsoft also manages several Partners in Learning programs that celebrate innovative educators and equip teachers to prepare students with the skills necessary to thrive in the 21^st-century job market. We host national and regional events throughout the year that recognize academic leaders, culminating in our annual Partners in Learning Global Forum.

• Creating products that support success: Many Microsoft education solutions play a role in helping students achieve their academic bests.  Microsoft Office 365 for education gives academic institutions a familiar Microsoft Office desktop suite with online versions of next-generation communications and collaboration services. Educators, staff, and students get anywhere access to email and calendars, Office Web Apps, video and online meetings, and document-sharing. Other examples include Office 2010, which transforms a computer into an essential tool for success, and Kinect  in the classroom, which has been shown to deepen student engagement and enhance instruction.

Join us in ensuring that our community’s students have all the support they need to reach their potential during the 2012-2013 school year and beyond.

Our goal, and the purpose behind the recently launched Microsoft YouthSpark initiative, is to bridge that gap by promoting an increased focus on science, technology, engineering and math (STEM) for our local students, and our future workforce. We believe making technology available to Silicon Valley youth is the foundation of the initiative in our local area. 

But we also understand that technology is a tool that, like any other, must be used properly to be effective. And it must be used by the right craftspeople, like Gregg Witkin, a teacher at Boynton Continuation High School in the Campbell Union High School District.

Gregg uses in-classroom technology to not only help his students develop technical skills, but to foster creativity and encourage positive change. Through the program, “Finding Your Voice,” Gregg’s students create videos to inform and encourage action on social issues they’re passionate about. Gregg was one of just 11 U.S.-based teachers recognized by Microsoft’s global Partners in Learning (PiL) initiative, and last August was honored by Senator Elaine Alquist on the Senate floor in Sacramento.

On Thursday night, Gregg was recognized by his school district and Sid Espinosa, director of corporate citizenship at Microsoft Silicon Valley, for his innovative, youth-empowering use of technology.

“Microsoft was committed to us as teachers, as individuals, and to the education system,” said Witkin. “Being recognized by Microsoft for what I am doing is a beacon of pride for me and validation of 15 years of hard work.  I don't just think it rewards my voices project, it rewards me as a teacher, as someone who has cared for all of my students regardless of who they are, where they came from or where they end up.” 

For his efforts, Gregg will head to Prague this fall to participate in the Partners in Learning Global Forum. We applaud Gregg for his leadership, and wish him the best of luck in Prague.

We encourage you to learn more about Microsoft YouthSpark and explore the local chapters of our national partners joining us in this initiative: Boys & Girls Clubs of America, City Year, Junior Achievement USA, Network for Teaching Entrepreneurship and Year Up, Inc. In the coming weeks and months, we’ll continue to share the stories of students, teachers and community leaders, like Gregg, who are working to close the opportunity divide here in Silicon Valley.

Recently, the Silicon Valley Leadership Group hosted an Education Leaders Summit at Microsoft’s Mountain View campus and welcomed regional education leaders, elected officials and community partners to dicuss the future of Silicon Valley’s K-12 education. Local tech leaders participated in the “Business Perspective on 21st Century Skills” panel and focused on addressing the 21st Century skills gap that has educators and employers concerned for the future of high tech. Kristin Rhodes, general manager of Microsoft’s U.S. Education team (West Region), shared Microsoft’s perspective on contributing to Silicon Valley’s education system to overcome challenges and create meaningful programs.

Educators are having tremendous success in encouraging primary and high school students to pursue careers in STEM fields. But the challenge has now transitioned to universities, where there aren’t enough seats to meet student demand for continued education in STEM.

Through partnerships with organizations like ALearn, Partners in Learning and SMASH, Microsoft Silicon Valley is bringing much-needed attention to this existing education gap, and offering actionable ways for students to expand their skills. But more work is needed, and you can help by finding organizations without your community that promote STEM learning. Whether it’s one-on-one mentoring, offering skills and application instruction at a local school or making a financial donation, you can follow the example set forth by our educators and community leaders Get involved to help make a difference today.