INTERNATIONAL 2005 ICT STUDENT COMPETITION: "INCLUSIVE COMMUNITIES: A SOCIETY FOR ALL GENERATIONS"

INTERNATIONAL 2005 ICT STUDENT COMPETITION: "INCLUSIVE COMMUNITIES: A SOCIETY FOR ALL GENERATIONS"
www.international-iccc.org

Background: This competition is sponsored by the International Council for Caring Communities (ICCC) in cooperation with the United Nations ICT Task Force, the United Nations Programme on Ageing, the UN's Department of Economic and Social Affairs, the Swiss Agency for Development and other partners. The competition program of the ICCC was first established in 1995 by the late architectural historian Dr. Albert Bush Brown and winning entries have been exhibited at the United Nations in New York and in notable venues around the world.

The Competition invites students internationally who are concerned with the design, development and use of Information and Communication Technologies (ICT) to apply their creative talents toward developing ICT solutions to enable the seamless integration of older persons into the fabric of their communities including the range of social, cultural, and economically productive activities. The presentation of finalists will be held at the World Summit for the Information Society (WSIS) in Tunisia, 2005 and are the highlight of an annual international conference under the general title "Caring Communities for the 21stCentury: Imagining the Possible" held at the United Nations in New York during the annual meeting of the UN's Commission for Social Development.

GUIDELINES

Eligibility: Both undergraduate and graduate students of any field concerned with the design, development or deployment (implementation) of ICT are eligible to submit projects. Entry forms are due by May 31,2005 to the International Council for Caring Communities. Design project submissions must be received by September 1, 2005. The judging of entries will take place in early September 2005. Winning entries will be announced during the World Summit on the Information Society(WSIS) in Tunis, November 2005.

Prizes: There will be two First Prizes: One, for the best hardware or software development supportive of use by and/or inclusion of aged persons in access to ICT; a second First Prize will be given to the best or most innovative application including training or content related development supportive of "effective use" by seniors of ICT. First Prize awards will be for $10,000. In addition there will be two-second place winners of $5,000 and two third place winners at $2,5000 each. At least three more projects in each category will receive Honorable Mentions. All other completed submissions will be recognized with a certificate acknowledging the student's participation.

Program: Submissions should address issues critical in the societal integration of older people .The project should address key issues and illustrate innovative approaches to the integration of older people in society and daily life. Of particular importance are ideas, approaches, techniques and technologies that make use of the experience, talents and interests of older people in the service of society. The solutions should address how the productive engagement of older persons can enrich communities and improve the quality of life for all. Additionally, the project may provide a strategy or means for incorporating older persons as essential components of the social fabric. Different age groups should be imaginatively intertwined. Opportunities should be sought to link various age groups in mutually beneficial arrangements.

Analysis: The project should be addressed to a particular group of older persons with whom a beta test or proof of concept test has been conducted. Based on an analysis of an existing situation the context should provide a clear framework for the design concept and its technical development and service implementation. Students are encouraged to collect and portray information on current technology applications and developments that meet the specific needs or present opportunities for older persons and documentation should be provided which reviews the other developments in the research/application area where the particular project is situated. Where necessary sufficient documentation should be provided to allow for engineering, systems or applications level review of the project. The analysis and its succinct documentation will allow the jury to understand the context and conditions to which the design solutions are responding and the technology background to the particular development.