WATERVILLE, MAINE, December 2020 — Thomas College has re-imagined the 6th Annual Thomas Cup to be held in a virtual space and to meet the needs identified by high school students and teachers. This year’s Thomas Cup features five separate opportunities to participate. One of those opportunities is a week-long esports competition (January 11 – 16).Thomas College is thrilled to announce that students who register will be the first in the world to compete using a new competitive game mode for Minecraft Creative Clash – Pirate Cove. They will also have this unique opportunity to meet the Minecraft game designers, coders, and artists to give them feedback on the new game mode (like play testers) and to learn more about these types of computer science and information technology careers.
This event is FREE for high school students to participate.
“Thomas remains committed to fostering homegrown talent at the nexus of business, technology, and innovation. We are excited to partner with Microsoft to offer this amazing opportunity to high school students. Beyond the fun of competing, students will have a chance to talk with the Minecraft team about the knowledge, skills, and experiences needed to succeed in the tech industry – and we hope this inspires them to explore more of those in-demand careers,” said Thomas Cup co-organizer Amanda Nguyen.
“We are really excited about this partnership with Thomas College. The Thomas Cup is an incredible opportunity for young people to connect with and explore potential futures. Microsoft has been developing our esports Minecraft content for the last year and the Thomas Cup represents an incredible opportunity for us to work with those young people interested in the technology and gaming industries to playtest that content and give us direct feedback that will shape our roadmap for 2021,” said Microsoft’s Senior Engagement Program Manager Stephen Reid.
This competition will take place in Minecraft: Education Edition, which can run on PC, Mac, iPad, and Chromebook – and Thomas College has the ability to provide students with a short-term license so they can participate. Thomas College is proud to level-the-playing field so that all students with or without gaming devices can participate fully. Strong communication, collaboration, and critical thinking skills will be required to develop winning strategies.
About Thomas College
Thomas College, located in beautiful Waterville, Maine, is defining what it means to be the College of the Future. With a strong commitment to innovation, career readiness, and community partnerships, Thomas College is consistently ranked by U.S. News & World Report as one of Maine’s top colleges for social mobility. Our distinctive Guaranteed Job Program™, accelerated undergraduate degrees, and flexible graduate programs empower students to advance faster in business, entrepreneurship, education, technology, applied STEM, and arts & science fields. At Thomas, belonging isn’t a buzzword; it’s a promise. We create a supportive, welcoming environment where every student is seen, valued, and prepared to thrive in a rapidly changing world.For more information visit thomas.edu or contact MacKenzie Riley Young at [email protected] or 207-859-1313. Find us on Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, YouTube, LinkedIn, and TikTok.