<div dir="ltr">This sounds interesting .. particularly the part where they will teach you programming with Python for free as you participate. Go for it! :-)<br><br>Regards Roland<br><br><div class="gmail_quote">---------- Forwarded message ----------<br>
<blockquote>From: <b class="gmail_sendername">Paul Reid</b> <span dir="ltr"><<a href="mailto:paul@paulreid.id.au">paul@paulreid.id.au</a>></span><br>Date: 2008/7/28<br><br><div dir="ltr">Has this come up b4? If not it should have! <a href="http://challenge.ncss.edu.au/" target="_blank">http://challenge.ncss.edu.au/</a><br>
<br>I'd say this coding competition would be of interest to students interested in a career in the IT industry. Google in particular uses Python for many tasks including the backend of it's web apps. This would be a engaging way to give students with an interest in programming an introduction to Python - an extremely good career kick-start IMHO. <br>
<br>The Challenge is being run by the School of Information Technologies, at the University of Sydney as part of the ACS National Computer Science School (NCSS).<br><blockquote><i><b>Learn to program in Python while you compete!</b></i><br>
<br>The School of IT at the University of Sydney is running a programming challenge for high school students over 5 weeks in term 3, 2008.<br><br>For 5 weeks starting on Monday, July 28, we will email you a short Python tutorial containing the information you will need to complete the week's programming challenges. If you would like to take part, please register.<br>
<br>Unlike existing competitions, the NCSS Challenge is <span style="background-color: rgb(255, 255, 204);">designed to cater for both beginners and advanced students</span>. Each week, a set of Python teaching resources for either in-class or <b>self-directed learning</b> will be distributed to participants via email and online. A set of challenge questions testing this material will also be distributed. Each week's challenge set will range from relatively easy to extremely challenging <b>allowing beginners to progress at their own rate</b> whilst extending gifted students. The challenges will increase in complexity as more and more programming concepts are covered over the 5 weeks.<br>
<br>The Challenge is <b>unlike any other programming competition because we will teach you how to program as we go along</b> rather than expecting you to be an expert coder already. However, if you are a seasoned coder, we have something for you too because the problems will range from relatively simple through to mind-bendingly hard.<br>
<br>For 5 weeks starting on Monday, July 28, we will email you a short Python tutorial containing the information you will need to complete the week's programming challenges. If you would like to take part, please register.<br>
<br>The NCSS Programming Challenge will run from Monday 28 July 2008 to Monday 25 August 2008.<br><br>ELIGIBILITY<br> 1. The challenge is open to all primary and secondary students in Australia, including students studying via distance education and home schooling.<br>
2. All entries must be individual: no team entries are permitted.<br> 3. <span style="background-color: rgb(255, 255, 204);">Results of the NCSS Programming Challenge will be taken into consideration in assessing applications for the National Computer Science School (NCSS)</span>.<br clear="all">
</blockquote>It's $11 per student. Registrations here: <a href="http://challenge.ncss.edu.au/accounts/register/" target="_blank">http://challenge.ncss.edu.au/accounts/register/</a><br><br>Have fun :-)<br>Paul<br><br>
<a href="http://paulreid.id.au" target="_blank">http://paulreid.id.au</a><br>
</div></blockquote>
</div><br>-- <br>Roland Gesthuizen - ICT Coordinator - Westall Secondary College<br><a href="http://www.westallsc.vic.edu.au">http://www.westallsc.vic.edu.au</a><br><br>"Never doubt that a small group of thoughtful, committed citizens can change the world; indeed it is the only thing that ever has." --Margaret Mead<br>
</div>