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June 2008
Students from the Arkansas School for Mathematics, Sciences & the Arts (ASMSA) took top honors in the 2008 Oracle Academy Global Data Modeling Competition. The Arkansas students were the highest-ranking U.S. winners, and they received top recognition along with students from Egypt, Romania, Serbia, and Singapore.
“This year’s contestants represent the best of the Oracle Academy,” said Brad Saffer, Senior Director, Oracle Academy. “By applying their knowledge through this competition, these students have demonstrated their understanding of key business and technical skills required for 21st century careers. Their outstanding data models are a testament to their tremendous skill and serve as true Oracle Academy success stories. We applaud their efforts.”
The winning Arkansas students, led by teacher Daniel Moix, were recognized for outstanding analytical and technology skills used to create a database that tracks and stores meteorological data. Their project was titled Global Awareness Organization, and the Arkansas team took 5th place overall.
“It is a pleasure working with some of the sharpest students in Arkansas,” said Daniel Moix, team teacher. “They truly are world-class. When I got the call from Oracle, I couldn't wait to share the news with my students. They worked very hard on this project; I am so happy to see their efforts recognized.”
The Oracle Academy sponsors the annual competition to help students develop the business and technology skills required for 21st century careers. Students who participate in the competition utilize advanced analytical and technology skills – skills that are in high-demand in a global workforce.
The competition, which is open to students from participating Oracle Academy institutions worldwide, challenges students to analyze the requirements of a particular business and develop a data model that demonstrates the flow of information within that business, a sophisticated process that is typically taught in the university setting and is critical to building database systems.
“The Arkansas Career and Technical Education Division is very proud of the Arkansas Mathmatics, Sciences & the Arts school students,” said John Davidson, Deputy Director, CTE, Arkansas Department of Workforce Education. “This is the highest award of any U.S. team. These students have shown remarkable hard work and effort. This is also a tribute to our Business and Marketing Technology staff, who have led this effort to introduce and provide Oracle Academy training to our Arkansas schools. Mr. Daniel Moix, Computer Science Instructor at ASMSA, has brought pride and recognition to all of Arkansas’s Oracle instructors. This is a rigorous and relevant curriculum that requires professional development by our instructors and requires many hours in instructor time. By earning this award the ASMSA team has validated the efforts of our students and instructors across the state.”
The 2008 competition included more than 100 entries. A global team of volunteer experts from industry and education reviewed each entry for business, technical, and communications excellence.
“The Oracle Academy is pleased to recognize the outstanding achievement of the students from this year’s competition,” said Clare Dolan, Vice President, Oracle Corporate Citizenship. “These dedicated and innovative scholars stood out among a record number of entries from across the globe, displaying the business and technology skills required for success in the 21st century marketplace.”
The Oracle Academy and the Oracle Education Foundation’s initiatives reach more than 1 million students worldwide. The Oracle Academy supports 655,000+ students in 86 countries. By partnering with schools, districts, and ministries that believe in early career preparation, the Oracle Academy helps students develop the technology and business skills required for 21st century careers. Participating institutions may integrate Oracle’s cutting-edge software and curriculum into their courses and avail their faculty to first-class professional development opportunities.
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