Thank you for your participation! By the time the Apps for Healthy Kids competition submission period closed last week, we had 160 submissions in hand and nearly 20,000 supporters. Now we are reviewing all submissions for eligibility and will have them all up on the www.appsforhealthykids.com website and ready to view by July 14th. Our intention through this endeavor was to inspire software developers, game designers, and students from across the United States to develop fun and engaging tools to inspire and empower children to eat better and be more physically active. We are very excited to have received your many creative submissions, and equally excited to transition now to the voting phase of the competition.

Starting July 14 at noon EDT, all members of the public are invited to vote for their favorite apps at www.appsforhealthykids.com . Results of public voting will determine the winners of the Popular Choice Awards, while an expert judging panel that includes Apple Computer Co-Founder Steve Wozniak and Zynga CEO Mark Pincus, along with other luminaries, will evaluate submissions and determine the winners for all other prizes. Judges will consider the submissions’ potential to engage and motivate the target audience (primarily “tweens”); quality, accuracy, and content of messages; creativity and originality; and potential for further development and use. Judging and public voting will conclude on August 14 at noon EDT.

By fall 2010, $60,000 in prize money is to be awarded to a total of 12 winners for an array of awards , including Grand Prize, Runner Up, Honorable Mention, Popular Choice, Corporate Recognition, and the GE Healthymagination Student Award in both categories—“Tools” and “Games.”

As we move forward, we would like to thank our partners —GE Healthymagination (sponsoring two Student Awards valued at $10,000 each), the International Game Developers Association (which sponsored a series of game jams in eight cities across the U.S. , and Whyville (whose virtual Game Arcade helped elicit tween feedback on potential entries). In addition, thanks to all who took the time to provide input, offer expertise, and shape the direction of this ground-breaking project in true collaborative spirit.