Imagine Cup, the world’s premier student technology competition — the World Cup of Software — empowers young people to apply their imagination, passion and creativity to technology innovations that can make a difference in the world today.

In Latin America, over 38,000 students have already registered with Brazil, Mexico, Ecuador, Peru, and Venezuela leading with the highest number of registrants.

For the 2010 competition’s theme, Microsoft is calling on students — technologists, artists and programmers — to create solutions that help combat diseases, improve education, ensure environmental sustainability and reduce child mortality, helping achieve the United Nations’ Millennium Development Goals by “Imagining a world where technology solves the toughest problems facing us today”.

Students who are interested still have time to sign up at ImagineCup.com to participate in one of the following categories:

* Embedded Development: Deadline to submit an entry is March 1

* Game Design: Deadline to submit an entry is March 15

* Digital Media: Deadline to submit an entry is March 31

“Imagine Cup helps inspire and motivate students to use technology to solve practical problems their communities face every day. Latin America needs competitions like this because we have seen a shortage in the number of students interested in science and technology subjects that are critical for our region’s development,” said Leandro Doeyo, director of Academic Programmes for Microsoft Latin America.

“This competition exposes students to different ideas and perspectives from all over the world and allows them to see not only how much impact a career in technology can have but how they can create their own company and become part of the ecosystem that drives innovation in their country.”

Now in its eighth year, the Imagine Cup has grown to be a truly global competition with more than 300,000 students from over 100 countries and regions vying for a chance to attend the worldwide finals, this year taking place in Poland, from July 3-8.

The Imagine Cup is the world’s student technology competition, and it gives students the chance to not only compete for cash and prizes, but also gain real life professional experience that could help them turn their ideas into real products and solutions. The brightest young minds join together and by way of using technology, take on the toughest problems facing our world today.

Microsoft is calling on participants to step up to the challenge and “imagine a world where technology helps solve the toughest problems”.

This idea of students changing the world is the recipe that inspired Microsoft to create the Imagine Cup. What begins with a burst of inspiration and a lot of hard work, can become a future software breakthrough, a jump start for your career, or a flourishing new industry.

The Imagine Cup encourages young people to apply their imagination, passion and creativity to technological innovations that can make a difference in the world — today. Take a minute to learn more about the Imagine Cup’s imaginecup.com/CompetitionsContent/MDG.aspx.

Open to students around the world, the Imagine Cup is a serious challenge that draws incredible talent, and the competition is intense. The contest spans one year, beginning with local, regional and online contests. The finalists go on to attend the Worldwide Finals held in a different location every year. The bonds formed here last well beyond the competition itself.