Charged with finding real world solutions to real world problems, students from Seventh-day Adventist-owned Northern Caribbean University (NCU) rose to the challenge for the second time. The group beat out 4,000 other registrants in the region’s Microsoft Imagine Cup technology competition for students.

Under the theme of “Imagine a world where technology enables a better education for all,” the team has designed a software program to close the gaps in distance education.

The software, called C.A.D.I. (Computer Aided Distance Instruction) “fosters a centralized learning environment that brings together teachers, students and resources. It highly enhances distance education and dissolves language barriers, ” says Kenrie Hylton, chair of the Department of Computer and Information Sciences at NCU and the team’s advisor. 

Hylton adds that the project was developed with NCU in mind—the Adventist church’ s largest institution of higher education. NCU has students studying at its main campus in Mandeville, Manchester, from several satellite campuses and through long-distance education.

Hylton says while he doesn’t believe in ‘praying to win’ he does believe studying in a Christian environment played an important role in the group’s success.

“More than anything else a personal relationship with God is a factor for this team,” Hylton says. “Throughout the whole competition we could see God leading us.”

“The Lord helped us to do our best and the students got very good feedback,” he continues. “The software they developed is really innovative and something that is worthy of actually taking home the [top] prize in Korea.”

The team is made up of all graduating seniors: Conroy Smith, Ayson Baxter, Damian Mitchell and Imran Allie. They advance to the finals in Seoul, South Korea on August 5 to 10.

NCU students also won the regional Imagine Cup competition on their first go around in 2005.