Apple has announced today that it will open the next round of its Swift Student Challenge in February 2024. Next year’s challenge will include a new category recognizing 50 Distinguished Winners, who Apple says will be named for standout submissions and be invited to visit Apple Park.
In a press release today, Susan Prescott, Apple’s vice president of Worldwide Developer Relations and Education & Enterprise Marketing, touted the company’s commitment to education and coding:
“At Apple, we believe that everyone can learn to code and build apps, and we’re proud to support and recognize aspiring student developers with the Swift Student Challenge each year.
We know that students are eager to learn coding skills to solve challenges they care about — whether it’s building an app to help peers identify mental health resources or supporting sustainability efforts on campus — and want to know how to get started. Apple is releasing new coding resources for students and educators, working with our community partners on dedicated Swift programming, and sharing advance notice of the Swift Student Challenge timeline for 2024. We can’t wait to see the app playgrounds students submit next year.”
Apple also cites an independent survey from YPulse, which found that 94% of students believe coding is an essential skill for the future job market, but 48% don’t know where to start. These results are why Apple is committed to the Swift Student Challenge system, as well as expanding the availability of its Everyone Can Code Projects.
In fact, alongside today’s announcements, Apple is also releasing four new Everyone Can Code Projects that “provide step-by-step resources to guide students in developing essential skills while creating apps that solve problems they care about.”
Today’s four new Everyone Can Code Projects include:
- Design a Simple App: Students can create an app prototype in Keynote to learn the fundamentals of app design, practice rapid prototyping, and collect feedback, following the same steps as professional developers.
- Build with Stacks and Shapes: Students can take the first steps of building an app in Swift Playgrounds and code a self-portrait or a work of art using SwiftUI to learn the fundamentals of user interface design.
- Build Custom Shapes: Students can bring an app interface to the next level by designing a shape, learning how to plot the coordinates, and coding their custom shape using SwiftUI and the About Me sample app within Swift Playgrounds.
- Design an App Icon: Students can learn and apply app design principles to create a unique and memorable app icon that communicates an idea; practice rapid prototyping; collect feedback; and upload the icon to Swift Playgrounds to become part of an app.
The new Everyone Can Code Projects can be found in the Apple Education Community, alongside additional resources for any skill level.
Students interested in the Swift Student Challenge can sign up on Apple’s developer website to be notified when the challenge opens. The challenge will take place during a three-week window in February 2024. 350 winners will be chosen overall, while 50 “Distinguished Winners” will be invited to Apple Park next summer and “have the opportunity to connect with each other and the Apple team.”
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