Students from India Take Top Honors in the ThinkQuest International Competition 2011

PRLog (Press Release) - Aug. 19, 2011 - News Facts
· More than 33,000 participants from 52 countries tested their skills on a global stage in the largest ThinkQuest International Competition to date.
· The global competition, sponsored by the Oracle Education Foundation (OEF), challenges students to solve a problem using their critical thinking, communication and technology skills.
· Participants presented solutions using a variety of technologies, including online applications and games, websites, photo essays, online blogs/journals, 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.

Competition Winners
· 38 Indian students represented eight award-winning teams.
   o ThinkQuest Projects Event: Six students – Ankit, Orko, Sakar, Sidhartha, Suyash and Tarun, from KV Mumbai – were awarded 1st place in the 19 and under age division for their entry “E-Warriors.”  The team’s project explores the effects of e-waste and proposes thoughtful solutions for community stakeholders.  Krishna Kumari Josyula coached the award-winning team.
    o Four students – Abhilash, Akshay, Ritwik and Shivskandan, from KV Pune – were awarded 3rd place in the 19 and under age division for their entry “Financial Inclusion.”  The team’s project educates audiences on the topic.  CP Prashanth coached the award-winning team.
     o Four students – Ashima, Ria and Sushmitha, from Mater Dei School Dehli, and teammate Neha, from Aminiya School in Maldives – were awarded 2nd place in the 16 and under age division for their entry “Reviving Our Roots.”  The team’s project explores ways to strengthen Indian culture.  Ferengez Latif coached the award-winning team.
     o Six students – Harshit, Rishabh, Shivang, Shubham, Shubhekshana and Shreya, from KV Pune – were awarded 3nd place in the 16 and under age division, for their entry “Trail Blazers.”  The team’s project reinforces the importance of rain to a farmer’s livelihood.  Prabhadevi Manakikar coached the award-winning team.

·  Application Development Event:
      o Three students – Abhijai, Praateek and Yash, from St Columbus School, Delhi and Ryan International, Faridabad – were awarded 1st place in the 16 and under age division for their entry “The PHP Guide – by TutorialMakers.”  The team’s application provides a PHP tutorial to those who want to learn website development.  Sangeeta Sheel coached the award-winning team
     o Three students – Pallavi, Vinay and Virendra, from KIT’s College of Engineering, Kolhapur – were awarded 2nd place in the 22 and under age division for their entry “Gradebook.”  The team created a web-based program that allows teachers to assign grades online to students for multiple classes and subjects.  Sagar Patil coached the award-winning team.
· The winners were selected from among 7,603 teams and represented China, Great Britain, Greece, India, Indonesia, Maldives, Moldova, Pakistan, Puerto Rico, Romania, Singapore, South Africa, Sri Lanka, Taiwan and the United States.
· Teams had approximately eight months to define a problem and present a solution. 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 .
   
Supporting Quotes
· “The Oracle Education Foundation is please to recognize all ThinkQuest International Competition participants for their outstanding achievements,” said Brad Saffer, Vice President, Oracle Education Initiatives. “These students identified real-world problems and accepted the challenge to solve them through innovative, thought provoking solutions. Throughout the process, these students developed skills that will position them for success in the classroom and workplace.”
· “The ThinkQuest International Competition inspires students to develop critical thinking, communication and technology skills through collaboration and teamwork,” said Krishna Sistla, Senior Director, Oracle Education Initiatives, Asia Pacific. ”The dedication and passion displayed by the students and their teachers in solving real world problems is exemplary. This experience helped equip these students with the skills required to succeed in school and the workplace.”

Supporting Resources
· ThinkQuest visit http://www.thinkquest.org/en/
· Oracle Education Foundation visit http://www.oraclefoundation.org/

About the Oracle Education Foundation
The Oracle Education Foundation is a nonprofit organization funded by Oracle. It delivers ThinkQuest, an online learning platform that helps students develop important 21st century skills, including communication, critical thinking, and technology skills. ThinkQuest includes a project environment that supports collaborative learning; technology competitions that challenge students to solve real problems; the award winning ThinkQuest Library, a learning resource visited by millions; and professional development for educators. ThinkQuest supports over 590,000 students in 58 countries. To learn more, visit http://www.oraclefoundation.org.

About Oracle
Oracle (NASDAQ: ORCL) is the world’s most complete, open, and integrated business software and hardware systems company. For more information about Oracle, please visit oracle.com.


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