Raspberry Pi "Bake-Off" Contest Offers Programmers & Inventors Chance to Win Money, Close Digital Divide

Chicago, IL, September 22, 2013 --(PR.com)-- What: Programmers and inventors can pick up cash prizes and help Chicago Schoolchildren bridge the digital divide.CrossRealms, Inc.TM, a Chicago IT consulting firm, is offering $1,000 for the best educational software or hardware invention that uses the Raspberry Pi, a lower-than-low-cost computer about the size of a deck of playing cards. Second place gets $500, third place gets $300. Student inventors win internships with CrossRealms. The Raspberry Pi has a per-unit cost of $35.00, low enough to be distributed throughout schools through corporate donations alone. This has the potential to put a computer in every kid’s hands without making them a target for robbery and assault.

Why: Teachers, some of whom may not always be tech-savvy, need content that keeps schoolchildren fascinated with learning – without being a technological headache for the teacher. While the potential for STEM education (Science, Technology, Engineering & Mathematics) is obvious, teachers also need content to engage students in reading, music, and every other academic subject. Enter the Raspberry Pi “Bake-off,” which is designed to produce such content. Winners might be a software program or a classroom hardware invention run by Raspberry Pi. Although it is geared toward university students, the Bake-off welcomes contestants of all backgrounds and ages.

Where: Polaris Charter Academy, a Chicago Public Schools charter school on Chicago’s West Side, is currently participating in a pilot program and has received 10 Raspberry Pi’s to both enhance the school’s IT infrastructure and to engage children in learning. Winners of the Bake-off will see their creations rolled out first at Polaris, and then at other Chicago public schools that CrossRealms is actively recruiting.

Who: CrossRealms, an IT consulting firm, is donating its services, time and prize money. They are also currently seeking partners to donate Raspberry Pi units

When: Entries are due October 25, 2013; winners will be announced November 8, 2013. More information about contest requirements is available at http://www.crossrealms.com.