Just being a member of any one of the numerous student organizations in the campus is enough to be granted admission to this one-of-a-kind sporty-sounding affiliation of a computer technology giant – the Microsoft Varsity Program (MS Varsity).

Meant to provide information and communications technology (ICT), business management, and education skills training to outstanding student leaders from various private schools and universities, the MS Varsity seeks to foster learning and self-development by training and creating some 180 student ambassadors that will become educators and trainers in various schools that need their assistance.

Student leaders converge at the Microsoft Philippines Windows Vista Room for the launch of the Microsoft Varsity Program.

"Microsoft Philippines advocates cross-discipline learning; this is why we are integrating three different tracks in this program. Microsoft Varsity seeks to develop ambassadors as advocates of goodwill through teaching and helping people discover their own potentials," says Microsoft Philippines’ Academic Affairs director Sam Jacoba.

According to Jacoba, MS Varsity is an offshoot of the company’s existing Faculty and Student Ambassador Program.

DepEd Senior Education Program specialist Jess Huenda observes: "There is an urgent and glaring need to improve, appreciate and embrace learning with the incorporation of technology," He adds that the best kind of learning "is only achieved with the proper tools and the support to learn through technology."

University of Makati student Edita Bayona congratulates Microsoft Phils. for coming up with the Varsity Program. "It is not just sharing knowledge to students but enlightening them, too, on the true value of social responsibility," she says

Her schoolmate, Marife Baconawa, a member of the university's Young Mentor's Circle agrees: "This is a very good investment for us as future teachers. We could share more knowledge to our future students regarding matters of academic and technology."

For St. Scholastica's College's Gleiza Ann Mirandilla, the program seems to be exciting and challenging. "I am very much looking forward to learning a lot and sharing my time and efforts as well in behalf of my organization."

The essence of the MS Varsity is shown in its three mantras: ambassadorship, outreach, and innovation. MS Varsity legacy would be the development of the student ambassadors, who have the passion to share their skills and knowledge with the less-fortunate students. The objectives, on the other hand, would be fulfilled when the ambassadors’ training will be cascaded through outreach initiatives. Finally, the program also recognizes the value of education with the use of technology.

Microsoft Philippines’ Academic Affairs director Sam Jacoba

In the second phase, members will be molded to become student ambassadors of goodwill. During this stage of the program, the students will be trained to cascade their knowledge to other institutions in the most efficient and successful manner.

When the ambassadors progress to the third and final phase, they become part of the Partners in Learning (PiL) Program, a Microsoft global initiative which aims to enable a worldwide community of lifelong learners realize their full potential through technology.

"Microsoft Varsity is not only a way of developing our country’s future leaders to be ambassadors. We are also providing them with an ideal setting where they can interact with their fellow students from other schools and organizations. This is a chance for them to learn best practices and actual experiences from the other participating organizations," says Microsoft Varsity Program lead and People Ignite Organizational Development and Training, Inc. president and trainer JV Wong.

Katherine Valdeleon of the Colegio de San Juan de Letran Junior Financial Executives foresees that the program will be of great help not only to the chosen ambassadors but also for the development of learning in the Philippines. "It is a great way of making us aware of our responsibility to others through the help that we will be sharing in the program."