On April 14, 2018, EarthWays will be hosting its first Student Innovation Challenge, an all-day sustainability design challenge at T-Rex. Teams of middle and high school students will have a limited time to come up with a specific solution to a mystery sustainability challenge in the morning and create a working prototype of their design. They’ll then present their solutions to a panel of judges from the tech, sustainability, education, and entrepreneurship fields. Winning teams will win prizes as well as the opportunity to implement their design in school to help their peers make green choices.
Design challenges, similar to hackathons, have been used by organizations and companies all around the world to stimulate exciting new ideas and find solutions in unusual places. When it comes to sustainability, innovation is the name of the game, and St. Louis area students have the potential to create culture-changing systems, apps, or devices to shape the future of solid waste at schools. The EarthWays Innovation Challenge is an opportunity for students to combine interests in design and invention with business, sustainability, and teamwork. Students will have the opportunity to create digital solutions as well as physical ones, but no tech knowledge is necessary!
This challenge will give students a chance to solve a real-world problem, use critical thinking skills, practice presentation and public speaking, and flex their invention muscles. If you are interested in participating in the challenge, please contact Simon at simon.warren@mobot.org.
The EarthWays Innovation Challenge is an opportunity for students to combine interests in design and invention with business, sustainability, and teamwork.