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. You can register at thomas.edu/thomas-cup.
“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.
For answers to questions or more information, please reach out to Amanda Nguyen or Jim Delorie at Thomas College.
The sixth annual Thomas Cup is proudly sponsored by: Central Maine Power, Unum, AT&T, and WEX. Additional, in-kind support is being provided by Microsoft, Project>Login, and Educate Maine. Plus, members of the winning team of the Thomas Cup will each win $10,000 in scholarship money to Thomas College.
About Thomas College: Thomas College has been preparing students for success in their personal and professional lives for over 125 years. Thomas College nurtures the unique potential within each student. Our Guaranteed Job Program, 3-year accelerated offerings in all undergraduate degrees, individualized advising, career counseling, and our Innovation Centers in Business and Education meet a student’s determination to succeed with the direction, confidence, and tools to realize the highest version of themselves. Our graduate degree offerings fit your lifestyle ranging from in-person accelerated programs to evening online courses. From the classroom to community activities, or on the athletics field with our 19 varsity sports, Thomas College provides a personalized experience that prepares you for the workplace of tomorrow. Data reported by the New York Times ranks Thomas in the top 13 percent of all higher education institutions in the U.S. for upward mobility of its graduates, and U.S. News & World Report ranks us #7 among colleges in the Northeast. For more information, visit wwwold.thomas.edu or contact MacKenzie Riley Young at pr@thomas.edu or 207-859-1313. Find us on Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter.