On April 3rd, 2017 Compugen launched a Canada-wide contest for K-12 classroom teachers offering an opportunity to bring one of two prizes of technology worth up to $10,000 into their classrooms. Running from April 3rd to May 12th, the contest invited teachers to tell us how current technology will make their classrooms more effective and fun!

There were two prizes available to be won: 28 HP Stream Notebook and 1 HP Sprout OR 15 HP Education Edition x360 Notebooks and 1 HP Sprout.

One-hundred-fifty-five teachers throughout Canada, spanning 28 school boards, entered the contest. They shared heart-warming and compelling stories.

As one teacher wrote, “School is a safe environment where all students have the right to learn. Giving every child an opportunity to successfully achieve through technology will not only build confidence, they will thrive to learn. Technology engages students and leaves no room for any child to doubt their ability with resources at their fingertips.”

All of the participants highlighted the importance of using technology to empower students, increase classroom engagement and prepare learners for 21st-century life.

At the conclusion of the contest, a panel of judges, including folks from Compugen and three tech-savvy educators, gathered to read and rank all entries. After careful consideration and a three-round review process, our panel of judges selected two deserving winners who offered the most creative and compelling stories about how technology can make a difference in their schools’ learning outcomes.

Congratulations to our winners:

Mrs. Heather Jackson from Our Lady of Wisdom Catholic School from the Ottawa Catholic School Board who wins 15 HP Education Edition x360 Notebooks with 1 HP Sprout!

AND

Ms. Anita Bartolini from Loretto Abbey Catholic Secondary School from the Toronto Catholic District School Board who wins 28 HP Stream Notebooks with 1 HP Sprout!

On the morning of June 8th, a team from Compugen’s Ottawa office visited Mrs. Jackson and her grade 1 classroom to surprise them and present their prize. The following day, a team from Richmond Hill hosted a surprise assembly at Loretto Abbey and celebrated the win along with 200 high school students.

We are overjoyed at the level of participation and the quality of the stories that were shared. We wish we could have awarded prizes to all participants, such was their enthusiasm and creativity. A big thank you to all for sharing and inspiring us.

We are most grateful to our partners and sponsors in education who made this possible: our educator judges, HP, Intel and Microsoft! Together, we aspire to reimagine education with technology.