Kickstart Your Career in Social Impact

Employer surveys show that skills developed through social innovation practice are in high-demand.

Skills like the ability to work in a team, communicate ideas orally, and to exercise critical thinking are among the most in-demand skills for careers in general and especially careers with social impact. (McKinsey, Georgetown, Gallup, 2010-2014).

Participatin in The Global Social Innovation Challenge (GSIC) incorporates all of these in-demand skills: working in a team, practicing written and oral communication of complex ideas, and the exercise of creativity, critical thinking, leadership and decision making. Students who have participated in the Global Social Innovation Challenge (GSIC) in the past report deeper commitment to social issues and social change and sharpened skills to address complex social challenges.

Students say that participation helped them “take an idea and turn it into a fully developed business” and refine what they want to do in their life “through receiving mentoring and feedback and working with other committed students working on their own ventures”.

This year, the combined seed funding pot is $72,000. $57,000 of this funding will be awarded among the global finalists coming from over 25 universities worldwide at the June 2019 Global finals (i.e. round 3). In addition, USD teams will also have exclusive access to $15,000 of additional seed funding at the end of round 1 and round 2.

Hear from some of the winners of the 2018 Global Social Innovation Challenge about the values of networking, feedback for their idea, and the skills they developed by practicing social innovation.

Evans Kwarkye (Ghana)

Aimee Carton (Ireland)

Cesar Espinoza (Mexico)

Students should submit their round 1 application by February 27. Please click for More information and eligibility information. Two idea labs for USD students will be offered before the round 1 deadline.