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The Swift Student Challenge is an annual coding competition organized by Apple for students who are passionate about programming and app development. It is part of Apple’s WWDC (Worldwide Developers Conference) and provides young developers with an opportunity to showcase their skills using Swift, Apple’s programming language.

Key Details About the Swift Student Challenge

• Who Can Participate?
  • Students aged 13+ (or equivalent in their country)
  • Enrolled in an accredited academic institution or a homeschool equivalent
  • Must have an Apple Developer account (can be a free account)
• What Do You Submit?
  • A Swift Playgrounds app project that demonstrates creativity and technical ability.
  • The app should be engaging, interactive, and built using Swift Playgrounds.
  • A short description (about 500 words) explaining the project.
• Judging Criteria:
  • Creativity—How innovative is the app idea?
  • Technical Accomplishment—How well is Swift used?
  • User Experience & Design—Is the app intuitive and visually appealing?
• Prizes & Benefits:
  • Winners receive exclusive WWDC swag, including custom pins and apparel.
  • A one-year Apple Developer Program membership (valued at $99).
  • Recognition from Apple and potential networking opportunities.

Why Should You Participate?

• Great for building your portfolio and showcasing coding skills.
• A chance to get noticed by Apple and industry professionals.
• Encourages creativity and problem-solving in app development.

Get ready

From connecting peers to mental health resources to identifying ways to support sustainability efforts on campus, previous Swift Student Challenge participants around the world used their creativity to develop apps to solve real-world problems. We encourage you to brainstorm and develop thoughtful ideas for apps that address important issues in your community and beyond.

Dream, draft, and organize ideas for your app playground, download what you’ll need to make your vision a reality, and start building!

Winners

We’ll select 350 Swift Student Challenge winners whose submissions demonstrate excellence in innovation, creativity, social impact, or inclusivity.  From this esteemed group, we’ll name 50 Distinguished Winners whose work is truly exceptional and invite them to join us at Apple in Cupertino for three incredible days. All winners will receive one year of membership in the Apple Developer Program, a complimentary voucher to take an App Development with Swift certification exam, a personalized certificate from Apple, and AirPods Max.

Apple’s Swift Student Challenge winners have used their coding skills to create impactful projects that address real-world issues. Some notable winners from past years include:

1. Angelina Tsuboi—She created an app called Lilac to help non-English-speaking immigrants find essential resources such as childcare, housing, and grant opportunities. Her inspiration came from her mother, a Japanese immigrant, who faced language barriers in the U.S. Tsuboi has also worked on projects related to air quality monitoring and emergency response systems.
2. Josh Tint— A linguistics enthusiast, Tint developed an app to assist individuals exploring their gender identity by testing different pronouns in sample texts. His work aligns with lavender linguistics, the study of LGBTQ+ language, and he aims to reduce bias in AI models by designing more inclusive language-processing algorithms.
3. Jones Mays II – Inspired by his grandfather’s love for gardening, Mays built an app called Ivy to help people identify and remove invasive plant species. He is passionate about teaching programming and believes that coding skills can be applied across multiple fields.

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Swift Student Challenge FAQ

1. What is the Swift Student Challenge?

The Swift Student Challenge is an annual coding competition hosted by Apple for students passionate about programming. Participants submit an innovative Swift Playgrounds app project to showcase their coding skills.

2. Who can participate?

• Students aged 13+ (or equivalent in their country).
• Enrolled in an accredited school, college, or homeschool equivalent.
• Must have an Apple Developer account (free or paid).

3. What do participants need to submit?

• A Swift Playgrounds app project demonstrating creativity and technical skills.
• A written explanation (max 500 words) about the project.
• Optional: Links to app-related resources like videos or GitHub repositories.

4. How are projects judged?

Projects are evaluated based on:

• Creativity—originality and innovation.
• Technical Accomplishment—How well Swift is used.
• User Experience & Design—Usability and aesthetics.

5. What are the benefits of winning?

• Exclusive WWDC swag (e.g., pins, apparel).
• A one-year Apple Developer Program membership (worth $99).
• Recognition from Apple and industry professionals.
• Potential networking opportunities and future career benefits.

6. When is the submission deadline?

Apple usually announces the challenge in early spring, with submissions closing a few weeks later. Keep an eye on Apple’s official website for updates.

7. What tools can I use to create my project?

• Swift Playgrounds (preferred for submission).
• Xcode for advanced development (though the final submission must work in Swift Playgrounds).

8. Can I submit an app that’s already on the App Store?

No, your submission must be a new or original project, not an existing published app.

9. How many winners are selected?

Every year, Apple selects 350+ students from around the world as winners.

10. Where can I get inspiration from past winners?

Check out Apple’s Newsroom for stories about past winners and their innovative projects.

Would you like help brainstorming ideas for your project? 😊