Jacobs Teen Innovation Challenge 2024

Deadline: 10 January 2024

What if you could build a better world? The Jacobs Institute for Innovation in Education at the University of San Diego is calling for middle- and high-school educators to join in the effort to make a local and global impact.

In the 2024 Jacobs Teen Innovation Challenge, educators and teenagers will develop an innovator’s mindset and the skills to create solutions to local and global problems.

The Jacobs Teen Innovation Challenge is an annual, worldwide event that supports teachers and teenagers in developing social good solutions using design thinking. There is no cost to participate and ongoing support is provided to educators through a series of webinars. The challenge culminates in May with a virtual pitch competition. Awards to charity are provided on behalf of winning teams.

Build Solutions Aligned to the Global Goals

Using Pactful, students are introduced to the innovator’s mindset, the 17 United Nations Global Goals, and design thinking. Students form teams to identify a local or global problem that feels relevant to them and then work through three phases of a design thinking curriculum to develop solutions.

Prize Information

Winning teams and their solutions will be celebrated in the Pactful Community and the media. In addition, winning teams will receive certificates celebrating their success, plus:
- The winning team of the ‘Best Overall Social Innovation’ will receive an award of $2,000.
- The winning team of the ‘Most Local Impact Award’ will receive an award of $500.
- The winning team of the ‘Most Global Impact Award’ will receive an award of $500.
- The winning team of the ‘Most Creative Innovation Award’ will receive an award of $500.
- The winning team of the ‘Advances Social Justice and Equity Award’ will receive an award of $500.
In addition, they’re giving out $25 Storyteller Awards to teams who share their project and team progress on social media with the hashtag #JTIC24.
Depending on the country of residence, the winning teams’ award can be distributed in one of the following ways: designate a charity to receive the award in the team’s name, donate the award to your non-profit school, or select an Amazon gift of your preference for your classroom.
Photonics Innovation Award sponsored by DRS Daylight Solutions
- They are excited to offer an additional, sponsored prize to this year’s challenge from DRS Daylight Solutions. Student teams who create a solution in the field of photonics are eligible to receive:
  - An award of $500 for a charity of their choice
  - Recognition from DRS Daylight Solutions who will share the news via their marketing channels
  - Certificates of their achievement
  - Mentoring from DRS Daylight Solutions to help take their solution to the next level upon request

Eligibility Criteria

A middle- or high-school educator must sign up and coordinate the event with student teams. Non-profits and other educational organizations serving teens can also apply.
Every student must be in middle or high school and 13 years or older. If your middle-school class has 12-year-old students, they can participate as long as they are paired with students 13 years or older.
Educators and students must use a Google Account—preferably Google Workspace for Education—to authenticate and document progress in the Pactful app.
Because the goal is to increase access to innovation culture with underrepresented populations, they strongly encourage diversity of race and gender in student teams.
Participation is limited.
Photonics Innovation Award Requirements:
- To qualify for this award:
  - The solution must relate to the field of photonics, the physical science of light waves. Photonics deals with the science behind the generation, detection, and manipulation of light and plays an important role in many technologies that they use every day in the lives. Examples include:
    - Lasers
    - Light
    - Fiber optics
    - Infrared
  - Submissions must include an additional writeup as to how their solution aligns to and furthers the field of photonics.
  - Award consideration will only be provided for solutions that meet the general submission requirements for the challenge event as well as being substantially complete solutions.