State Wide App Development “Roadshow,” First Of Its Kind Kicks Off End of March

University of Idaho and Innovation Collective embark on a 20 city
tour of Idaho to inspire new education and economic growth
model.

Coeur d’Alene, ID - March 5, 2018 - Innovation Collective (IC) and the University of Idaho
(U of I) are embarking on a 5-day, 20 city tour of Idaho to promote a rapid learning initiative
called Inspire Idaho. The tour is called “The Experience Tour.” Over the course of the 5-day
Experience Tour (March 26, 2017 - March 30, 2017) the Inspire Idaho team will demonstrate
app development, programming, and motivate participants to join the rapidly growing, “app
economy.” The Inspire Idaho team includes not only members of Innovation Collective, and the
University of Idaho but also experts from around the country trained in app development in
Apple Inc’s Swift programming language.

The tour is designed to generate awareness and promotion for the Inspire Idaho program which
utilizes the land-grant extension offices as a means to provide workforce readiness training in
the rapidly changing knowledge economy. The Inspire Idaho program launches it’s learning
initiative later this spring with a first emphasis on app development.

Each stop on the initial 20 city tour will include hands-on demos of Apple Inc’s Swift, Xcode and
Playground products as well as the ability for participants to use the Apple iPad to program
Sphero Robots and other interactive activities. Each stop on the Experience Tour will be open
to the public and free of charge.

“I can’t wait to see young and old alike have a chance to write basic code and then watch it
move robots according to these instructions. Experiences like this are necessary to remove the
fear of the changing economy and allow for inclusive opportunities in our country. This kind of
reimagining of education is especially necessary for rural states.” said Dr. Charles Buck, AVP at
the University of Idaho.

The intent of the Inspire Idaho program which launches the full app development program later
this spring, is to address access, equity and workforce readiness for all citizens of Idaho by
providing those who want to learn Swift code and App Development the opportunity to do so at
no cost and by bringing the program, experts, and computers to your county. The program will
utilize Apple Inc’s Everyone Can Code curriculum and participants will be supported by the
University of Idaho and Innovation Collective. The intention is to leverage the statewide reach of
U of I Extension to promote the creation of App Development Teams in every one of Idaho’s 44
counties. Experts and mentors in the community will also provide guidance and support. Upon
completion of the 180-hour curriculum, each team will generate a fully developed app.

“In Idaho, we are one of the lowest average wage states and the shrinking need for humans in
certain industries makes a case for us to attempt to connect as many citizens as possible to
rapidly growing economies like app development. Old mining and logging towns alongside the
reservations across the state will make this an exciting project for all. This program is designed
to help you make more money, be a part of a new growing economy, and unlock the fullness of
your potential.” Said, Nick Smoot founder of Innovation Collective.

The application development field is the first skill being trained in as it currently generates $1.3T
in revenue and is expected to grow to $6.3T by 2021.

About Inspire Idaho Program:
Inspire Idaho is a cooperative effort to eliminate barriers to free, future-ready skills development
for every Idahoan who wants to participate in the rapidly growing app economy. Inspire Idaho is
provided by the University of Idaho and Innovation Collective. It will inspire and support new
pathways to prosperity for hard-working Idahoans by providing access to the skills that will
create a talent pipeline for local, regional and statewide industry partners.

www.InspireIdaho.org for more information.

Media Contact: Nick Smoot nick@innovationcollective.co