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Over $200,000 in Funding Available to the Selected Solv[ED] Innovators
Applicants aged 24 and under must submit their solutions by January 18, 2022
Sept. 20, 2021 (CAMBRIDGE, MA) — MIT Solve, an initiative of the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, announced the inaugural Solv[ED] Youth Innovation Challenge at its annual Solve Challenge Finals pitch event. The open innovation Challenge invites anyone aged 24 and under to present solutions to some of the world’s most pressing issues, particularly those related to learning, economic prosperity, health, and sustainability.
The Youth Innovation Challenge is a core component of Solv[ED], a program by Solve designed to spark a sense of agency in young people, encouraging, inspiring, and supporting them to become problem-solvers in their community and the world.
“We have launched dozens of open innovation Challenges through MIT Solve’s platform, but this is the first one designed especially for young people aged 24 and under,” said Alex Amouyel, Executive Director of MIT Solve. “Our goal is to inspire young problem-solvers to innovate and drive lasting change--they are our future and they have the motivation, creativity, and ingenuity to roll up their sleeves and get started.”
The 10 most promising solutions will be selected by a group of cross-sector judges as Solv[ED] Innovators and announced at the Solv[ED] Solutions Event held virtually in March 2022. The Solv[ED] Innovators will have access to over $200,000 in available prize funding and receive mentorship and support from the MIT and Solve communities to help scale their solutions. Applications are due on January 18, 2022.
Whether a concept, prototype, or fully operational organization, applicants must submit a tech-based solution that:
Improves learning opportunities and outcomes for learners across their lifetimes, from early childhood on;
Improves financial and economic opportunities for all;
Improves healthcare access and health outcomes, reducing and, ultimately, eliminating disparities in health;
Takes action to combat climate change and its impacts; OR
Addresses an unmet social, environmental, or economic need not covered in the four dimensions above.
Applicants also have the opportunity to receive support as they build their application through Application Clinics and Solveathon workshops. The Solv[ED] calendar is available here. Solv[ED] also offers a toolkit with free online resources to help young problem-solvers develop their innovative solutions.
The Solv[ED] Youth Innovation Challenge is supported by Morgridge Family Foundation, HP Inc., the Rieschel Foundation, the Pozen Social Innovation Prize, and EY (EYGS LLP), as well as Solv[ED] Members.
For additional information about the Solv[ED] Youth Innovation Challenge, read more here.
About MIT Solve
Solve is an initiative of the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) with a mission to solve world challenges. Solve is a marketplace for social impact innovation. Through open innovation Challenges, Solve finds incredible tech-based social entrepreneurs all around the world. Solve then brings together MIT’s innovation ecosystem and a community of Members to fund and support these entrepreneurs to help them drive lasting, transformational impact. Join Solve on this journey at solve.mit.edu.
