Master the Mainframe is growing bigger and better than ever, but it's still the easiest way to give your students hands-on experience with this industry-critical technology!
Now in its 13th year, Master the Mainframe has grown so popular, we are partnering with AngelHack to run the contest for us allowing us to reach thousands more students in many more countries.  The same team developed the challenges, but instead of separate contests in each region, Master the Mainframe is now one worldwide contest.  That means the prizes are now worldwide, so be sure to check out some of the changes.
What's new?

• AngelHack is hosting the contest, sponsored by IBM. The registration website is now Masterthemainframe.combut the challenges are still on our mainframe system and supported by the same experienced team of mainframers.
• Many of the prizes are now gift cards so you can buy what you like!  See below for details.
• It's now one worldwide contest with the same start date.  Students age 13 and over from any country in the world (except those few countries on AngelHack's embargo list) can participate with the same start date.
• Have questions?  Instead of waiting for an answer, we now have a forum for you to post your questions or search for answers.
• Employers are constantly looking for lists of the Part 2 and Part 3 winners.  New this year, we're enabling the winners to post connections to their social media accounts so employers have an easier way to contact them.

What hasn't changed?

• Same team developing the challenges, so all the same fun.
• Still three parts, with no experience necessary to start.

Tips for using Master the Mainframe in the classroom:

• Use Part 1 as a required homework assignment.  They can do it on their own and you get a report of how they're progressing.  In just a couple of hours, your students will get a good introduction into enterprise systems technology.
• Use Part 2 for deeper learning.  Part 2 takes more time but they come away with some practical skills and an Open Badge to prove it.
• Use Part 3 for hands-on, project based learning.  After up to a month of work, students completing Part 3 come away with the strong enterprise system skills and are in the highest demand by employers.  Their Part 3 Open Badge listed on their social media profile will put them in high demand by employers.
• Encourage students to going through the contest to help each other out.  Even throw a party for them to go through it together!
• Post the flyer (attached below) in the classroom, hallway or bulletin board.

Prizes:
? Part 1 Prizes: Snag your Swag
     ? $25 USD Amazon/Alibaba/IBM Logo Store Gift Card for 750 contestants, taken from the first 3000 accepted challenges (a 1 in 4 chance) that are 100% correct.
? Part 2 Prizes: Indulge Yourself
     ? $100 USD Mastercard/Visa Gift Cards for the first 200 challenges that are 100% correct.
? Part 3 Prizes: Show Off Your Talent
     ? The top 2 individuals from EACH region (N. America, Latin America, S. Asia, APAC, MEA, and Europe) will win a $2750 travel stipend to visit the head office of IBM in their region and meet with key executives and recruiters on their project.
     ? Each winning individual will receive a "Master the Mainframe Global Winner" Hoodie.
     ? The top three individuals globally will receive an HTC Vive worth $799 USD.
If you're interested in tackling this years mainframe contest, you can find everything you need to know on our new Master the Mainframe homepage.
Disappointed that you're not a student and can't compete for fun and prizes?  Check out our new Developer's Contest called Unchain the Frame!  It's a worldwide, virtual hackathon using the hottest trends in technology.
You can keep up on the latest Master the Mainframe news on our Facebook page. Like the mainframe? Make it official!  You can also follow our twitter feed by following @mastermainframe
Best regards,The IBM Master the Mainframe Contest TeamP.S. For the latest on overall IBM Academic Initiative System z programs and news, please check out our Facebook page. Hope to see you there!