The Microsoft Store at Newark’s Christiana Mall donated eight Surface 3 tablets and type covers to be used in the final round of this year’s Diamond Challenge, the school outreach program created by the University of Delaware’s Horn Program in Entrepreneurship.

The Surface 3 tablets and type covers will be awarded to the first place teams in both the business and social venture competitions at the final round of the Diamond Challenge, to be held Friday, April 7, 2017, at the Youth Entrepreneurship Summit.

“We have nearly 250 teams registered from 24 countries so far this season,” said Julie Frieswyk, the Horn Program’s manager of youth programs. “We appreciate the tablets from Microsoft Office; it not only sweetens the prize pool, but also shows these students that there is a community supporting their great ideas.”

The Christiana Mall Microsoft Newark location encourages young adults to explore entrepreneurship and pursue careers in the field by offering support to local organizations as well as in-store activities like workshops that focus on creating beneficial opportunities for youth.

Capital One supports this program as part of its Future Edge initiative, a five-year $150 million initiative designed to help people get the skills they need to be competitive in this digital economy.

About the Diamond Challenge

The Diamond Challenge is a competition that allows students to learn about entrepreneurship while putting their ideas into action. Participants pitch their ideas for a new business or social venture to a panel of judges to compete for cash prizes.

The Diamond Challenge is one program of the Paul and Linda McConnell Youth Entrepreneurship Education Initiative.

About the Horn Program in Entrepreneurship

The Horn Program in Entrepreneurship ignites imaginations and empowers world changers through educational offerings that emphasize experiential learning, evidence-based entrepreneurship and active engagement with entrepreneurs and other members of the broader entrepreneurial ecosystem.

Through participation in Horn Program offerings, students gain the knowledge, skills, personal capacities, experiences, connections and access to resources needed to successfully manifest innovation and thrive in the rapidly changing world.