Dialog launches Sri Lanka’s first inter-school app development challenge

Dialog Axiata PLC, Sri Lanka’s premier connectivity provider, in collaboration with the Ministry of Education and the University of Peradeniya, announced the launch of Sri Lanka’s first-ever all-island inter-school app development challenge, the ‘Dialog App Challenge’, powered by Ideamart and Dialog 4G Home Broadband’. 

The competition aspires to educate and ignite a passion for software development amongst ordinary and advanced level students and create possible career paths at an informative age.

The Dialog App Challenge was previously conducted within the central province for two years, and garnering the support of the Ministry of Education, will facilitate an all-island challenge across all provinces in its third year.  Students will be encouraged to brainstorm and develop technology based solutions to solve pressing issues in their respective communities. 

Real life solutions will be used as models to educate students and provide continuous mentoring. Schools will compete on a provincial and inter-school level, sustaining the future of the technology industry and growth of talent in Sri Lanka.

Ministry of Education Secretary Sunil Hettiarachchi said: “This year, together with the support of Dialog and the University of Peradeniya the app challenge will be carried out across the country. Teaching students at a primary and secondary education level to develop and fine tune their thinking to solving real world problems through technology, provides for a great platform for the future of Sri Lanka.” 

Students will compete in teams of five, with a minimum of two members expected per team to quality for the challenge. The top three innovations/product blueprints within the competition will be selected based on the use of technology for the solution, UI and UX capabilities, flawless market ready product completion and on communicating the solution effectively. Champion, First-runners-up and Second runners-up will be awarded with prizes worth of Rs. 300,000, Rs. 150,000 and Rs. 75,000 respectively.

Dialog Axiata PLC IdeaMart Head – MIFE Business and IOT Viranga Seneviratne said: “The Dialog App Challenge aims to uncover hidden talent amongst Sri Lankan youth and provide a platform for excelling in the areas of technology. The initiative will encourage and empower new thinking and will educate students across new technology spheres such as IoT.” 

He added: “We are excited to see the outcome of an island wide challenge, that will bring about healthy competition and thinking at the school level. The students will also be guided on how to generate revenue and mentored on how to become a self-sustained individual through this exercise. The future of Sri Lanka needs to be geared to take on the advancing digital age in order to stay ahead.”

For schools and students interested in applying or gaining more knowledge, visit the official website www.dac.lk, and be part of the Dialog App Challenge today.