Two Extraordinary Upcoming Opportunities for USD Students to Advance as Social Innovators

Are you ready for 2021? We are! There are two important opportunities for USD social innovators coming up in the early part of the year, so mark your calendars and get your social innovation tool kit ready.

The First Opportunity: Map the System Challenge

This year, USD joins Oxford University in their Map the System Challenge – a global competition that challenges you to think differently about social and environmental change. The competition challenges participants from any discipline to use systems thinking as a guiding approach to understanding some of the most complex issues the world faces today.

Participants will delve deep into a social or environmental issue that matters to them and will take the time to explore, probe, and research all its connecting elements and factors — later sharing their findings in a way that people can meaningfully understand, share, and learn from. You’ll have the chance to compete for cash prizes in a prestigious competition organized by the Skoll Centre for Social Entrepreneurship at Said Business School, University of Oxford.

Register online by January 31, 2021: Register here.

The Second Opportunity: Fowler Global Social Innovation Challenge

Participation in the Map the System Challenge will aid students in having a winning submission for the first round of our home-grown global competition, the Fowler Global Social Innovation Challenge (Fowler GSIC).

The Fowler GSIC is for the trailblazers, the dreamers, the doers. It was designed for those who can see a solution where others mostly see a challenge. Whether your passion lies in helping alleviate hunger or stopping environmental degradation, the Fowler GSIC invites you to engage with one or more of the UN's Sustainable Development Goals by developing an innovation that responds to an environmental or social challenge at the local or global level.

The first deadline for the Fowler GSIC is February 24, 2021: Apply here.

The Perk for USD Students: Double Your Chances to Learn, Connect, Grow, and Win

Because the two competitions are similarly focused on social innovation, participating in the Map the System Challenge means you’re well on your way to a strong showing in the Fowler GSIC (and vice versa). We highly encourage you to maximize your chances to learn, connect, create and earn substantial seed funding by participating in both.

Questions? Want to learn more about these competitions?

Schedule a meeting with Juliet Zimmer, Coordinator at the USD Center for Peace and Commerce, to learn more about the prizes, deadlines, and deliverables or how you can help a social innovator on their journey.