Challenge IT
The New Coventry Branch Competition

successfully completed March 15th 2012, with an exciting and vibrant finals exhibition and awards ceremony, with John Dalziel of Free Radio (formerly Mercia Sound) as the MC.

Thanks to Irene - Coventry Branch Chair, for pulling it all together.
Post event - Newsletter 3 available from here

Photographs courtesy Coventry University available from here.

Photographs taken by Margaret are available from here.

Newsletter 3 available from here
Newsletter 1 available here	Newsletter 2 available here
2011-2012 pdf Poster	2011-2012 word Poster
Guidance Notes Available Here	Guidance Notes Available Here

Fourth Run

First run in 2005/6, then 2007/8 and again 2009/10, this competition is aimed at schools, colleges and organised youth groups from Coventry and the surrounding area.   This includes Warwickshire, Solihull, and Southern Leicestershire.  

The third run of the competition commenced September 2009 and ran to April 2010, the prize-giving ceremony at Coventry University occurred on Wednesday the 30th June 2010.

This fourth competition will run from September 2011 to February 2012 with the Finals Exhibition and Awards Ceremony in the afternoon and evening of Thursday 15th March 2012 - as part of National Science and Engineering Week (NSEW).

We have decided to improve the format of the competition to make it more exciting and relevant and have re-appraised our aims as follows:

• To encourage interest in careers in IT through contact with local schools;
• To help local school pupils to develop awareness of good practice and a range of skills including IT, team working and project planning;
• To promote and develop effective links between local schools, industry and higher education;
• To foster understanding of how IT can deliver a product, service or business solution;
• To promote professional practice in the local community through the work of the BCS and particularly the Coventry branch

In the last competitions we expected a web site to be developed. This time the entry may be in one of the followng categories:

• Web Based application or web site
• Digital Animation
• Design for Mobile Phone App (can be story-boarded, we're not looking for actual code with this!)

Oh, and it doesn't have to be an ICT teacher who helps you to enter the competition.

Originally this competition was open to all students in secondary schools in Coventry and surrounding areas, with Key Stage 3, Key Stage 4 and Post-16 entry categories. We are now also welcoming entries from clubs, organised youth groups.

We have already had a competition this year (2011) for Primary schools, the winners were announced at the Teachers' Conference, and may be viewed from the competition news page.

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Interested students/youth group members - please use the link to the Entrants' Page in the menu on the left or just here for great stuff.

Previously there was no limit to the number of teams that could enter, with the proviso that each school/group may only enter two teams from each age group to the finals. However, the schools could have a mini competition to decide which two from each group they wish to submit.

This time round each organisation may enter upto two teams in each of the three categories above (Web, Animation or Mobile app), and can have teams of mixed ages, please see the Rules and Guidelines.

Supporters/Teachers/Coordinators/Youth Group Leaders - please use the link to the Supporters' Guide in the menu on the left or just here.

Sponsors - This competition would not go ahead without the generous support of our sponsors.   Please see the special Sponsors' Page available from this link or in the menu on the left. If you wish to sponsor our competition, and have your logo displayed on our web site, please contact the

Your reward for entering

• A chance to show you are ready to embrace the exciting world of web technologies and demonstrate how these can deliver new ways of working, playing and improving minds
• The chance to develop and demonstrate your skills in a closed learning environment
• Encouragement and external interest to reinforce what you are learning and doing
• Not "just" a GCSE
• Publicity for your school/college/organisation/club
• Rewards for yourself and your organisation

Your reward, for being invited to the Finals Exhibition

• Attend the Exhibition event and Awards Ceremony at Coventry University
• Meet prestigious and famous people
• Be presented with certificates and valuable prizes for you and your organisation
• The opportunity to see other peoples' ideas and meet the other teams
• Gain publicity in the press and over the Internet