Students from Sri Lanka take top honors in the ThinkQuest Competition 2012

More than 51,000 participants from 59 countries tested their skills on a global stage in the ThinkQuest Competition 2012.

The global competition, sponsored by the Oracle Education Foundation (OEF), challenges students to solve a real problem using their critical thinking, communication and technology skills. Participants presented solutions using a variety of technologies, including interactive applications, online games, websites, photo essays, online journals/blogs, animations, and videos. Prizes for the winners include laptop computers, school grants, and a trip to ThinkQuest Live, the inspirational awards event in the San Francisco Bay Area.

Three students – Adhisha, Roshnal and Chamath, from Royal College, Colombo 07 – were awarded 2nd place in the application development, 17 and under division, for their entry “TED 2012 (Text Encryptor & Decryptor).”  The team created an applications that corrected and inherent weakness in a ubiquitous mobile technology: the lack of encryption in text messaging. The Text Encryptor and Decryptor 2012, sends and receives password protected text messages from one mobile device to mobileanother. Mrs. Inoka Samarakkody coached the award-winning team.

The wWinning teams were selected from among 5,624 teamstotal. Countries represented by winners include the Former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia, France, Great Britain, Greece, India, Malaysia, Puerto Rico, Romania, Serbia, Singapore, Sri Lanka, and the United States.

In addition, this year’s contest recognized the top 10 schools for their overall participation. These schools hailed from India, Indonesia, the Philippines, Romania, and Singapore.  A full list is available at www.thinkquest.org.

Teams had approximately eight months to define a problem and present a solution using technology. An international panel of volunteer judges reviewed the entries and selected 1st, 2nd, and 3rd place winners within three age divisions for each event.

A full list of the winning entries can be viewed at www.thinkquest.org.

 “We are honored to recognize the outstanding achievements of the Sri Lankan students who participated in this year’s competition,” said Ahsen Javed, Managing Director, Oracle South Asia Growth Economies – West. “The ThinkQuest Competition helps students develop skills that are required for life and work in the 21st century, while helping to awaken students’ interest in technology.”

 “Sri Lanka is a country with a lot of IT potential, and the students here have shown so much enthusiasm to be a part of ThinkQuest competition. The biggest IT innovations still take place outside of Sri Lanka, driven by organizations such as Oracle,”Said Mrs. Inoka Samarakkody. “So participating in events such as ThinkQuest is invaluable to our students because it exposes them to cutting edge, IT based solutions from across the globe, broadening their knowledge base.”

 “I am proud of the achievements of the Sri Lankan students who participated in ThinkQuest Competition 2012” said Mr. Anura Dissanayake, Additional Secretary to H.E the President,- Ministry of Education. “Global events such as this provide a valuable platform for IT students to showcase their potential and skills, exposes them to global expertise and serves to empower them with new frontiers of knowledge, making a contribution towards raising the bar for IT in the country”.