Computer software designers at Jamaica's Northern Caribbean University knock heads on the educational project which qualified them for the World Finals in Microsoft's Imagine Cup Competition for students. From left are Damion Mitchell, Ayson Baxter, Imran Allie and Conroy Smith. - Photo by Herbie Gordon

Four exceptional young Jamaicans from small rural communities are well on the way to enhancing educational opportunities at a global level. Taking up a challenge issued by Microsoft through its annual Imagine Cup Competition for students, they have designed and tested a computer software programme that promises to revolutionise distance training, a cutting- edge technique being used increasingly in education.

The team, all undergraduates at Northern Caribbean University's (NCU's) main campus in Mandeville, has just emerged as winners at the regional level, for the Caribbean and Central America, in the software design category of the competition. They will be among 111 teams and 372 finalists competing at the 2007 Imagine Cup Worldwide Finals in Seoul, South Korea, August 5-11.

Led by team advisor, Kenrie Hylton, Chair at NCU's Department of Computer and Information Sciences, they are Damion Mitchell, 25, of Coleyville, Manchester; Ayson Baxter, 22, of Newport, Manchester; Conroy Smith, 22, of Moravia, near the border of Manchester and St. Ann; and Imran Allie, 21, of Siloah, St. Elizabeth. All are due to graduate with BSc. degrees in August.

In order to complete their Microsoft Imagine Cup project, they have spent the last eight months practically working around the clock, combining their studies, and in two cases job obligations, with a daunting schedule of individual and collaborative efforts. Social life and other normal activities have taken second place, and many were the nights they worked into the wee hours, put up by the university at NCU's Hilltop Hotel, near their department - only to go into another full day after snatching just a couple hours of sleep.

Challenge thrown out

This level of dedication is understandable, not only because of the attractive prizes offered by Microsoft (The NCU team will be competing for the prestigious Imagine Cup for Software Design and US$25,000), but because of the type of challenge thrown out by the world's premier student technology competition.

The 2007 competition theme, for example, has a special meaning to the young Jamaican competitors: "Imagine a world where technology enables a better education for all." As Conroy explains, "This theme mattered a great deal to me, because here in Jamaica the school system could be a lot better with improvements. I have a little brother, and I was thinking of him while we worked on the project - how he could use it in the future - I went after those barriers from his perspective."

The Imagine Cup has been inspiring and galvanising students everywhere since 2003, providing them with a platform to showcase their software development and technical skills. One of Microsoft's main objectives is to set brilliant young minds across the globe working on solutions to the world's toughest problems. In Software Design, for example, competitors are asked to use Microsoft's .NET

Framework and Windows platform, as they conceive, test and build their ideas into applications that can change the world for the better.

Jamaica's Northern Caribbean University first entered this competition in 2005, when their team triumphed at the regional level, andcompeted at the world finals in Yokohama, Japan. Last year, the NCU team reached the regional finals, but was beaten by Guatemala. This year, in addition to its Software Designers, NCU entered teams in two of the other eight Imagine Cup categories, Interface Design and Web Development. Their entries were among the top 24 worldwide, before being eliminated.

Invaluable development

One of the many happy "pluses" for the competitors, whether they win place or otherwise, is the invaluable development of their own skills. NCU's Kenrie Hylton explains:

"The Microsoft Imagine Cup Competition is a brilliant idea, and a very good initiative. It is something that gets the students to step up to the challenge and to go further and develop new concepts. You see that they grow significantly, technically and in other areas It gives them a chance to compete at the international level, and when you do that, Jamaicans and others can see that we have technical talents here - it opens people's eyes. Hopefully we can convince Jamaicans not to outsource (the technical jobs that are usually sent overseas) but to use the skills that exist here."

Imran, who notes that the project demanded serious sacrifice and "a burning desire", says he was excited about competing internationally, but more important, he saw the Imagine Cup challenge as "something that could maximise my potential".

Ayson adds, "It's not just a competition, it helps to develop your skills - I saw my skills compounded and I moved forward a lot. It proved my philosophy, that "if you can think it, you can achieve it."

Ayson, Imran, Conroy and Damion were selected to compete for the Software Design Competition from among over 200 students in the NCU's Department of Computer and Information Sciences. Department Chair Mr. Hylton confirms that they are all "exceptional" young persons. "Talent alone was not enough," he stresses, "they were also selected for attitude, Christian ethics, and willingness to take the initiative and go 'beyond and above'."

The team leader reports that Microsoft officials have commended NCU in the past for the well rounded students who have represented the University. "Our students are way ahead," he says with pride, "they are not just 'tech savvy' - they can deliver themselves well, and speak on different levels. And they have been exposed to different fields, since we are a liberal arts institution."

Together, the team developed CADI (Computer Aided Distance Instruction), "an innovative software application that provides a centralised learning environment, where language barriers are transcended and individuals can use the available tools and resources to engage in distance and collaborative learning".

Up to now, distance education has been carried out using satellite communication, which does not allow for the type of enhanced interaction possible with an Internet link. CADI not only does translations, using the top 12 primary languages, it supports distance education from any site, at any location, with a steady Internet connection. "There is nothing that combines these tools like CADI does," Mr. Hylton adds, "they all come together to enhance the learning experience."

A unique mix of skills

The design and development of CADI demanded outstanding input, both individually and collaboratively. Each student brought a unique mix of skills and strengths to the team. Both Ayson and Conroy are software developers - these two friends often work on website development projects together. Ayson is also interested in networking, and Conroy is fascinated by messaging programmes. Imran specialises in website development and mobile application development (pocket PCs and smart phones). Damion, with an education background, is a gifted teacher, with excellent presentation skills.

Damion and Imran were members of NCU's team which competed in last year's Imagine Cup Software Design Competition. They developed a software solution to help users change their lifestyle to prevent ailments, in response to Microsoft's 2006 theme "Imagine a world where technology enables us to live healthier lives".

The 2007 Imagine Cup Software Design team members share the ownership of CADI with NCU, and the University will be helping them to further develop it, and to market it. Of course, this will be much easier if the entry is triumphant at the world finals. As they prepare for the final round of the competition, they are all planning to continue their university education, some after a period of employment.

Mr. Hylton points out tha they are undergraduates just shy of a first degree, they will be competing at the professional level in Seoul, as all students are eligible for entry with the Imagine Cup, even those who have worked in the field and returned to university to pursue doctorates. But the young Jamaicans are confident, and believe in their product.

Whether or not they bring home the Imagine Cup, they will benefit from vastly increased career options, with the wide exposure the Microsoft competition offers. Last year's team from the NCU are all employed, two in Jamaica, one in Antigua, and one in a very good position in Cayman.

If they are successful, the team believes the victory will benefit all Jamaicans. As Damion puts it, "Winning will prove that you can have a small idea and it can impact on a global scale. Also, people will now want to look to Jamaica not as a country of maybe crime and violence and other negative traits. They will instead see Jamaica as a country where brilliant minds are contributing to the development of technology on a global landscape. And they may want to recruit Jamaicans because of what the Northern Caribbean University has been doing in information technology."

And Mr. Hylton concludes, "My desire is that through this competition, Jamaicans can see in themselves the potential for excellence and the possibility to achieve great things. I also hope to make the world more aware of the technical skills of Jamaica's human resources. I would like for Jamaica to be seen, like India and other Asian nations, as a source for softwaredevelopment, and technology solutions."