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Apple kicking off week of virtual WWDC on June 22, jackets and pins for Swift Challenge winners

Apple has announced that its first-ever virtual WWDC will start on June 22 this year and that it will be free for all developers through its Developer app and Developer website. There’s also a new event this year, a Swift Student Challenge for young developers 13 and older.

We learned back in March that Apple would still hold WWDC this June but as a virtual event. However, it didn’t share an actual date.

Today Apple unveiled the June 22 start date for the online WWDC in a Newsroom post and gave a few more details on this year’s developer conference that’s being impacted by the coronavirus pandemic.

Going virtual this year means it’s the first time that the event is free for all developers. Traditionally, it’s a paid event for most attendees after submitting for tickets through a lottery system.

Another neat new event this year is a Swift Student Challenge for young developers of at least 13 years of age. Check out the full rules here, submissions are due by May 17.

Showcase your love of coding by creating an incredible Swift playground on the topic of your choice. Winners will receive an exclusive WWDC20 jacket and pin set. This challenge is open to students around the world.

SVP of Software Engineering Craig Federighi highlighted the importance of students at WWDC:

“Students are an integral part of the Apple developer community, and last year WWDC saw attendance from more than 350 student developers spanning 37 different countries,” said Craig Federighi, Apple’s senior vice president of Software Engineering. “As we look forward to WWDC20, although our gathering will be virtual this year, we want to recognize and celebrate the creative contributions of our young developers from around the world. We can’t wait to see this next generation of innovative thinkers turn their ideas into a reality through the Swift Student Challenge.”

Apple’s SVP Phil Schiller shared positivity around the opportunity to take WWDC online:

“WWDC20 will be our biggest yet, bringing together our global developer community of more than 23 million in an unprecedented way for a week in June to learn about the future of Apple platforms,” said Phil Schiller, Apple’s senior vice president of Worldwide Marketing. “We can’t wait to meet online in June with the global developer community and share with them all of the new tools we’ve been working on to help them create even more incredible apps and services. We look forward to sharing more details about WWDC20 with everyone as we get closer to this exciting event.”

Apple didn’t share specifics about how exactly the virtual WWDC will work beyond accessing it through its Developer app and website. Fortunately, the company still has a month and a half to figure out the logistics of converting everything to a digital format while preserving key elements of the WWDC experience.

Make sure to download the Developer app which is where Apple says it will give more event details sometime next month ahead of June 22.

Developers are encouraged to download the Apple Developer app where additional WWDC20 program information — including keynote and Platforms State of the Union details, session and lab schedules, and more — will be shared in June. Information will also be made available on the Apple Developer website and by email.

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Avatar for Michael Potuck Michael Potuck

Michael is an editor for 9to5Mac. Since joining in 2016 he has written more than 3,000 articles including breaking news, reviews, and detailed comparisons and tutorials.