big ideas youth competition across ca state unis and 2 in jerusalem

[chris macrae]

categories for 2018-2019 seem particularly interesting - hence pretty full notes of competition copied here - berkeley is hub for competition

1 work force development

2 Art & Social Change

3 connected communities

4 Energy and resource alternatives

5Food Systems

6 Global Health

7 Hardware for good

8 Scaling up big challenges

1

• The Global Goals for Sustainable Development: 8 Decent work and Eco...
• Rockefeller Foundation: U.S. Youth Employment Initiative
• Rockefeller Foundation: Digital Jobs Africa Initiative
• World Economic Forum: The Future of Jobs – Employment, Skills and W...

Rapid advances in technology and shifting world dynamics are transforming the global economy and nature of jobs. As global migration reaches an all-time high, the digital economy grows, and an increasing number of services move towards automation, the “Future of Work” will prove to be a massive disruption that will serve as both opportunity and challenge to the world economy. The skills required by today’s workers are different and more varied than they were even a decade ago, and future labor markets will demand a modernized and highly-skilled workforce with the ability to swiftly adapt to rapid changes. Meeting employers’ needs will require new approaches, tools, and partnerships—whether through collaborating with educational institutions, establishing workforce efforts built for scale, or piloting and investing in innovations focused on scalable employment solutions.

The Challenge

This category challenges students to develop workforce solutions that provide individuals with the technical knowledge, practical skills and readiness necessary to secure employment and become self-sufficient. Additionally, proposals may be focused on strategies to develop the capacity of individuals, corporations and governments to meet the challenges and demands of the 21st century economy and its workforce.

Examples of proposals that would fit into this category include (but are not limited to):

• Remote training programs that provides continuation learning and job transition programs to specific populations of displaced workers, domestically or internationally.
• A web application that provides individuals with information and assistance to transition their benefits from job to job.
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2 

Overview

Many artists today are deeply committed to creating work that addresses pressing social issues and changes the way we perceive the world. While some artists use traditional forms of art to make work that comments on, responds to, or advocates for the need for change, others are exploring new forms of “social practice” that engages communities in an interactive exchange. For example, an artwork might take the form of a store, a garden, a meal, a website, a street performance, a story exchange, or an urban planning project. Socially engaged art can ignite outrage and demands for change, and/or provide a platform for reflection, collaboration, and building community. Art expressions can focus on the residents of a single city block, or reach out to a global audience.

The Challenge

The challenge for this category is to develop an innovative art project that meaningfully engages with issues of advocacy, justice, and community-building. The initiative may use any art form — visual/ conceptual art, photography, new media, video, dance, theater/performance art, music, creative writing, or other forms. Art must be central to the project, and the proposal must reflect an informed understanding of the particular art form(s) being used, as well as of the communities being served.

Examples of proposals that would fit into this category include (but are not limited to):

• An after school expressive arts program that aims to provide a safe space and creative outlet to elementary school students who live in under-resourced communities.
• A documentary that raises awareness about public health consequences, detrimental social impact, and cost of imprisonment.

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Communities in the U.S. and around the world are entering a new era of transformational change. Residents and the surrounding environments are increasingly connected by smart technologies, leading to new opportunities for innovation, improved services, and enhanced quality of life for all. Information and communication technologies (ICTs) have the power to enable governments, companies, universities, civil society organizations, and communities. These communities can collaboratively address some of the 21st century’s most pressing challenges—including urban planning, education quality, social services, and public safety. Yet, in our increasingly connected world, technology also can have negative effects as digital and social media further divide communities by creating “echo chambers” and “social bubbles.” Thus, there is an urgent need for the development of tools and platforms to promote collective problem-solving and strengthen the social and economic fabric of societies.

The Challenge

The challenge for this category is to describe a novel solution that leverages the capacity of technology to engage and enhance the wellbeing of communities, campuses, and cities. These innovations should stimulate new thinking to address key physical, social, or economic challenges facing geographic locales ranging from university settings to global metropolises. Solutions may focus on a wide range of areas, including but not limited to: improving the living conditions of urban environments, promoting civic engagement, sharing knowledge and information, making transportation options more accessible, and empowering individuals to improve their own well-being.

Examples of proposals include (but are not limited to) the following:

• A cloud-based speech recognition and speaker identification technology that empowers hard-of-hearing individuals to access in-person conversations.
• A mobile application that aims to promote the physical and mental health of students.
• A web platform that helps first responders receive real-time crowdsourced information during emergencies.======================

As resource constraints and climate change impacts on our planet become more severe, individuals and communities will lack access to the tools and products necessary to live sustainably. The buildup of greenhouse gases has resulted in urgent challenges such as rising global temperatures, extreme weather disasters, and accelerated sea level rise. At the same time, humans are generating 1.3 billion tons of solid waste per year, straining natural resources and highlighting the need for robust conservation and recycling efforts. Nevertheless, innovators around the world are increasingly exploring the potential of sustainable energy resources (such as solar, wind, geothermal, hydropower energy, and biofuels), implementing sophisticated waste management strategies, and incorporating circular economy principles into business strategies. As climate change and resource depletion continue to pose a significant risk to humanity at large, there is an urgent need to make these renewable technologies more accessible, affordable, and reliable.

The Challenge

The challenge for this category is to encourage the adoption of clean energy and/or resource alternatives that are sustainable and have the potential for broad impact. Proposals may focus on the design, development or delivery of green energy solutions that can be domestic or international in scope. All proposals should clearly demonstrate the relationship between the proposed intervention and its impact on the environment.

Solutions may focus on several areas, including but not limited to: (1) clean, renewable energy technology; (2) land/watershed management; (3) climate change adaptation; (4) habitat restoration and/or maintenance; (5) Resource reduction/waste prevention.

Examples of proposals that would fit into this category include:

• A project to accelerate governance, policies, or commerce to spur clean energy alternatives.
• A program to create economic growth based on alternative energy production.
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The production and distribution of food intersect with some of the most critical issues of our time: pervasive hunger and malnutrition as well as obesity, environmental degradation resulting from agricultural activities, labor injustices, and extreme inequities in the distribution of farmland and food access. Many initiatives and efforts have emerged in recent years, as attempts to address these persistent food-related problems, from local to global levels. Yet, challenges persist– and have escalated in some areas– often due to political and economic causes. Achieving food security, justice, health, and sustainability in food systems, and equitable access to nutritious food, requires significant changes, ideas, and problem-solving by people and organizations in a wide variety of disciplines.

The Challenge

The challenge for this category is to encourage the development of innovative solutions or approaches that address complex challenges in food systems. Proposals submitted to this category may focus on areas such as enhancing agricultural production, increasing food security, promoting sustainable farming practices, and/or creating equitable access to nutritious food. Proposals may be aimed at campus-based programs, local/domestic issues, or international efforts.

Examples of proposals include (but are not limited to) the following:

• A public health prevention initiative that aims to improve children’s nutrition and health outcomes or address issues of hunger and/or obesity.
• A technology or innovation that greatly reduces agriculture’s greenhouse gas emissions and promotes sustainable agricultural practices.=====
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Overview

Around the world, countries are working to strengthen health systems, increase access to quality care, and end preventable deaths. While there has been marked progress in certain regions and for certain health issues, this progress has not been evenly distributed. The fact that a child from the poorest 20% of households is still nearly twice as likely to die before the age of 5 as one from the wealthiest 20% illustrates the wide gaps between the rich and poor, urban and rural, both within and across countries. In addition to the challenge of persistent health inequalities, the “dual burden” of communicable (e.g. outbreaks like Zika and Ebola) and non-communicable disease (e.g. rising levels of diabetes and respiratory conditions) is placing added stress on health systems that are already overstretched and under-resourced. Innovations that can improve the efficiency and effectiveness of health systems, while also increasing access for vulnerable populations will be absolutely critical in the push to end preventable deaths in both the US and around the world.

The Challenge

The challenge for this category is to describe an intervention that would alleviate a global health concern, either domestically or internationally. Proposals submitted to this category should (a) demonstrate evidence of a widespread health concern faced by resource-constrained populations, and (b) develop a system, program, or technology that is culturally appropriate within the target communities and designed for low-resource settings.

Examples of proposals include (but are not limited to):

• A medical innovation project that promotes effective diagnosis or treatment
• A public health containment effort or surveillance technique to address infectious disease epidemics

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What is “Hardware for Good?”

With the recent rise of developments such as 3D printing, computer aided design (CAD) software, and makerspaces, the cost of prototyping and manufacturing hardware products at low volume has plummeted, allowing at-home innovators to develop solutions faster, cheaper, and more conveniently than ever. As barriers to entry continue to drop, there is significant opportunity to leverage the “Hardware Revolution” for environmentally sustainable, large-scale social benefit.

Hardware for Good encompasses everything from wearables (e.g. Fitbit and Google Glass), assistive and medical technologies, to devices that improve agricultural productivity, to smart home systems that improve energy efficiency and safety. As these hardware solutions continue to grow and develop, so too are the opportunities to harness them for social good.

The Challenge

The challenge for this category is to either: a) describe plans to develop an innovative hardware technology, or b) design a technology-led solution that uses an existing hardware/product in a novel way. These solutions should solve a major societal need, have high potential for impact, and/or improve the lives of individuals. Applications may focus on a wide range of areas, including: health, assistive mobility, education, responses to natural and manmade disasters, household and commercial robotics, economic opportunities for low-income communities, and beyond. Applications should seek to maximize environmental sustainability by incorporating the concepts and values of sustainable design, circular economy, and life-cycle assessment. Students are not required to produce a physical prototype by the Full Proposal deadline, but they must submit a blueprint, sketch, or model in their final submission.

Examples of innovative proposals that fit this category include (but are not limited to):

• A physical medical innovation that promotes effective diagnosis or treatment.
• Light installations that increase pedestrian interactions and foot traffic into urban spaces for safety purposes.==============================

Overview

Since 2006, over 450 student teams have received recognition and funding through the Big Ideas Contest. After using Big Ideas awards to pilot and test innovations, Big Ideas alumni often are ready to scale their projects and move their ventures forward. “Scaling Up Big Ideas” is an opportunity for former winners to gain additional support in reaching additional communities, developing new solutions to related problems, or otherwise expanding the impact of their projects.

The Challenge

The challenge for this category is for previous Big Ideas award winners to (1) highlight key achievements or progress made in implementing their original winning project idea, (2) document lessons learned in initial implementation, and (3) describe plans to revise their venture’s design or scale up their model. For the purposes of this category, Scaling Up is defined as reaching a new geographic area or underserved population, or adding to the scope and/or services of the original project in the same geographic area.