1. ESRI CANADA APP CHALLENGE

The ECCE App Challenge is a coding competition that promotes innovation and creativity within Dalhousie’s GIS Centre, a member of ESRI Canada’s Centres of Excellence. Each year, teams of students at ECCE schools across Canada are tasked to create new and unique apps powered by Esri technology and open data to help address a problem related to a specific theme.

The App Challenge at Dalhousie University will take place between March 18 (noon) and March 25 (noon). Teams will be given one week to complete their apps, and to submit the source code accompanied by supporting documentation, team profiles, and a video sales pitch for their app. These will be assembled and hosted in a GitHub repository used by the ECCE to showcase the apps created by each team.

Challenge rules:

– Maximum three students per team (undergrad or graduate)
– Your app must use open data
– You app should focus on the theme of smart cities
– You may use any platform for development (e.g. Web, iOS, Android)
– Your app must include at least one Esri component (e.g., ArcGIS API for Javascript, ArcGIS SDK for iOS), although other additional technologies are encouraged
– Your team must produce a sales pitch video explaining what your app does, and why it is valuable
– Any source code that you produce for your app must be shared under the GPL 3.0 open source license
– Your team must submit a completed app to the ECCE program at the end of the week

How to register:

Get your team together and then contact either James Boxall (james.boxall@dal.ca) or Gwen MacNairn (g.macnairn@Dal.Ca) with the GIS Centre at Dalhousie University. Send the names and email addresses of your team members, and choose/submit a team name.

What can be won?

A cash prize of $1500 (yes, that’s $500/team member) will be awarded to the top ranked Dalhousie team. Dalhousie judges will forward submissions from four of the top Dalhousie teams to ESRI Canada for the national competition. Winners of the national competition will be awarded an all expenses paid trip for all team members to the Esri User Conference in San Diego, California (July 9-13, 2018).

Schedule: runs for one week, from 12 noon on Sunday, March 18 to 12 noon on Sunday, March 25, 2018.

Eventbrite: http://bit.ly/2tko5cZ

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2. ESRI CANADA GIS SCHOLARSHIP GUIDELINES

This scholarship is for a high achieving Dalhousie student who has integrated GIS technology into their studies at Dal. The scholarship package will help support a currently enrolled student to continue their studies in GIS and consider GIS as a future career option. 

Scholarship package includes:

1) A one-time payment of $500

2) A perpetual license of Esri’s ArcGIS software, for education and research use:

• ArcGIS for Desktop Advanced
• ArcGIS for Desktop Extensions, including: ArcGIS Spatial Analyst, ArcGIS 3D Analyst, ArcGIS Geostatistical Analyst, ArcGIS Network Analyst, and ArcGIS Publisher
• ArcGIS for Desktop Advanced
• One-year ArcGIS Online Organization Plan (includes 100 service credits and 1 named user)
• One year of complimentary maintenance (which provides software updates, technical support and unlimited access to e-learning courses through the Esri Training site)

3) A one-year Professional-level subscription to the ArcGIS Developer Program (ADP), which includes ArcGIS Enterprise for development purposes as well as CityEngine

4) Select Esri Press Publications including:

• Python Scripting for ArcGIS
• Getting to Know Web GIS, 2nd Edition
• The Esri Guide to GIS Analysis, Volume 3

5) Two Esri Canada instructor-led training courses

6) Registration to one of Esri Canada’s User Conferences in 2018

7) A personal and editable profile in the Esri Canada GIS Scholarship Web Portal

Application Package must include:

– A cover letter (highlighting GIS & RS activities)
– A current CV/Resume
– An academic transcript (can be unofficial)
– GIS Poster* (attach as a PDF)
– GIS Summary Report** (attach as a PDF)

Suggested guidelines for the Poster* and Report** are listed below.
Email your application package to the Dal GIS Centre: james.boxall@dal.ca
Specify subject as: GIS Scholarship
Deadline to apply: Sunday, March 25, 2018 (on or before 11:59 p.m.)

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3. 2018 INTERNATIONAL ESRI YOUNG SCHOLARS AWARD

This is a national competition which will be awarded to one Canadian student. If you follow the international guidelines, the same poster and summary report can be submitted to both the Dal GIS Centre (by March 25) and to the Esri Canada Young Scholars Award (by March 29, 2018).

Submission package must include:

– Contact information
– Institution name and program of study
– Personal statement describing your experience with GIS
– Academic transcript (can be unofficial)
– GIS Poster* (attach as a PDF)
– GIS Summary Report** (attach as a PDF)

International guidelines:

*GIS Poster

• Must use ArcGIS software
• Must be created only by the applicant
• Graphics be of sufficient quality for printing (300 dpi)
• Portrait orientation (24 inches wide by 36 inches high)
• File size should not exceed 10 MB

**GIS Summary Report (explains your project or research):

800–1,000 words maximum

• Can include maps and other illustrations

Submit via: https://scholars.esri.ca/eys-application/

Deadline to apply: Thursday, March 29, 2018 (before 5:00 p.m.)

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