A UC San Diego student who proposed an app that would encourage students to work for social change has been selected as the winner of the 2013 Microsoft YouthSpark Challenge for Change contest (photo by Eric Jepsen, UC San Diego).
Sneha Jayaprakash’s app would present challenges for users to complete in order to earn rewards. The rewards can be used to make donations to non-profits.
“I’ve always been passionate about global issues,” said Jayaprakash. “I wanted to show people that volunteer service is easy. You don’t have to go overseas or make a big commitment. There are simple things you can do every day to make a difference.”
Jayaprakash will receive a $2,500 to be added to the $10,000 Microsoft gave her last month from its Microsoft Imagine Fund.
Jayaprakash joined with other students to turn her idea into reality. As part of her award, she also received a free tablet, cell phone and an expense-paid volunteer trip to Kenya.
She talks about her project in the video below.
