Recruiting NOW: Microsoft Global Enterprise Challenge

Teachers are increasingly turning to project-based learning to engage students and to bring together all the important 21st century skills they’ll need in higher education and post-school life. At their best, these projects not only teach real-life skills, they also teach collaboration and maybe even connect students to peers in other schools. So when the UK’s Broadclyst Community Primary School (a Microsoft Mentor School) brought its idea for a Global Enterprise Challenge to the Global Forum’s Innovative Schools Pitch Competition, we jumped at the opportunity to share the idea with schools around the world.

Broadclyst has been running this project for several years, recently extending it to a partner school in the Netherlands. But the school’s vision, driven by Jonathan Bishop, demanded a bigger stage. They won the pitch competition by offering a way to promote social interaction within teams and across countries – all using Microsoft’s anywhere, anytime tools.

Here’s the idea: 1000 students across 20 schools in 20 countries will connect to run 10 international companies, each with 10 regional offices and teams — all using Office 365. The teams will develop, produce and market 10 products, and then pitch those products, competing with each other to become the most successful global company. The winning student team will be flown to Microsoft headquarters in Seattle, where Microsoft's VP of Education Anthony Salcito will present them with their award and they’ll get a chance to see a real global enterprise in action.

Teachers and school leaders: please consider taking advantage of this unique opportunity to expand your students’ skills, experiences and horizons on a global scale and apply right now!

Registration for the Global Enterprise Challenge starts NOW, and runs through this September, with the Challenge running from October 2014 through February 2015. Student teams ages 10-11 (exceptions for ages nine and 12 can be requested) are eligible and will receive all the information and tools they need to complete the challenge successfully. For more information, visit GEC's official website.