As 2018 approaches  to it’s end, we all are looking back in order to self evaluate and readjust our goals. Some of us may feel nostalgic about 2018’s moments, some others may feel relaxed and successful, but some may feel incomplete and disappointed.
IEEE Region 8 Educational Activities SubCommittee (EASC)  found a way to make people eager for next year, motivated and energetic. It’s called Acceleration Contest and it’s a brilliant idea to keep our members motivated and ready for next year.

 

But what is Acceleration Contest? 

IEEE Region 8 expands in three continents and, even if this seems to be a drawback, it’s actually our Region’s big advantage. Having members from different cultures, Region 8, is a place where new exceptional, scalable and sustainable ideas are born. You may know some of them already. IEEE Xtreme , IEEE Academic, IEEE TISP Week and many more were born in Region 8. These projects started locally, they expanded to the whole Region and IEEE embraced them and made them Global.

And you may think, “What this has to do with Acceleration Contest?”

Well, Acceleration Contest is a Regional Contest where new Educational ideas are born. All members are invited to submit their educational project idea for Pre-University or University level. Then, the ideas are evaluated by a team of Reviewers. The best ideas are seed funded and EASC monitors the implementation of the idea and it’s results.

In a few words this is an excellent opportunity to showcase the innovation and drive of IEEE Region 8 members to an international audience and give a chance to these ideas to become a Global IEEE Educational Project.

 

And how does Acceleration Contest keep our members motivated and ready for next year?

The results of this year’s contest were announced on the 5th of December. The winners and runner up will have their funding transferred at the end of the year or the beginning of 2019. They will have to implement  their project, while at the same time many more teams are getting ready for next year’s contest.

This year Play2Learn from Croatia Section and IEEE Entrepreneurship Day from IEEE Democritus University of Thrace Student Branch, Greece Section, were the winners for Pre-University and University level respectively.

National Robotics Weekend from IEEE INSAT Student Branch, Tunisia Section is the runner-up for University level.

We in EASC are eager to see their ideas being implemented and spread across the Region or even across all the IEEE.

As all of our reviewers admit,  the evaluation process was a tough one this year because, especially the University level proposals, where very interesting and well documented.

IEEE Region 8 EASC,  greatly thanks the reviewers for sharing their valuable time, knowledge and experience to the process of evaluating each and every project idea.

Here are the first comments by them

 

“There were good ideas submitted in the contest. IEEE is working towards motivating the participants in implementing their proposals. Expecting more of such motivating ideas next year” 

Amith khandakar

 

 

“The contest was so tight with innovative ideas. We encourage more sections and IEEE members to participate in the 2019 calls.” 

Vincent Olema

 

 

Iulia Motoc“The Acceleration Contest was a very interesting way of getting the IEEE volunteers to think of innovative ways of promoting engineering at both pre-university and university level. I had to review some really amazing ideas and I hope that they will have the possibility to become bigger with time. “

Iulia Motoc

 

We all wish to have a happy and productive new year!

For more contests and projects from Educational Activities SubCommittee check it’s facebook page