How can disadvantaged communities design and participate in skills-based and lifelong learning opportunities to create productive and prosperous livelihoods in the 21st century?

Skills are the global currency of the 21st century. The ability to acquire new skills throughout life, especially technical, social, and critical thinking skills, is crucial for full and equitable workforce participation. Throughout the Latin American and the Caribbean region, countries are already making strides to improve lifelong learning opportunities, investing in work-based learning, certification programs, and informal education. Chile and Brazil are designing labor information systems to detect and anticipate skill shortages; upskilling and reskilling programs are being launched across Mexico; the Bahamas is piloting apprenticeship programs; and Honduras is exploring alternative certification schools to create better education and employment opportunities.

The skills gap in Latin America and the Caribbean continues to be the widest in the world. Lack of accessible, affordable, high quality, and effective learning opportunities means that two out of every five youth are not in education, employment, or training—with girls from vulnerable households disproportionately represented. Learning achievement levels remain low by international standards, with rural youth less likely to attend school and more likely to drop out than their urban counterparts. At the same time, around 50 percent of formal Latin American firms cannot find local candidates with the skills they need and thus rely on applicants outside the region.

The demands on teachers and educators of all types are also more complex than ever. Although they are essential to providing learners with the lifelong skills and knowledge they need to reach their full potential, these instructors are too often undervalued, inadequately trained, and poorly supported. 

Building on the United Nations Sustainable Development Goal 4, the TPrize Challenge seeks to find and support tech-based solutions to close the skills gap and promote lifelong learning opportunities across Latin America and the Caribbean. To do so, TPrize is looking for innovators with promising solutions from around the world who are either already working in, or planning to expand to Latin America and the Caribbean, that:

• Deploy new and alternative learning models that broaden pathways for employment and teach entrepreneurial, technical, language, and soft skills;

• Provide equitable access to learning and training programs regardless of location, income, or connectivity throughout Latin America and the Caribbean;

• Support and build the capacity of formal and informal educators to better prepare Latin American and Caribbean learners of all ages for the jobs of today and tomorrow; and

• Utilize data to better understand employer needs and better inform policy, resource allocation, and skills of the future.

For more information, see the "Official Rules" page.

Prize Funding for the TPrize Challenge

Up to US$100,000 in prize funding is available for the TPrize Challenge.

¿Cómo las comunidades en desventaja pueden diseñar y participar en oportunidades de aprendizaje de habilidades a lo largo de la vida para crear modos de vida productivos y prósperos en el Siglo XXI?

Las habilidades son la moneda de cambio del siglo 21. La capacidad de adquirir nuevas habilidades a lo largo de la vida, especialmente técnicas, sociales y de pensamiento crítico es crucial para participar de manera completa y equitativa en la fuerza laboral. En la región de Latinoamérica y el caribe, los países están realizando esfuerzos para mejorar las oportunidades de aprendizaje a lo largo de la vida, invirtiendo en educación para el trabajo, programas de certificación y educación informal. Chile y Brasil están diseñando sistemas de información laboral para detectar y anticipar la brecha de habilidades; programas de entrenamiento “upskilling” y “reskilling” están siendo lanzados en México; las Bahamas están desarrollando pilotos de programas de aprendices y Honduras está explorando certificaciones escolares alternas para crear mejores oportunidades de educación y empleabilidad.

La brecha de habilidades en América Latina y el Caribe continúa siendo la más grande en todo el mundo. La falta de oportunidades de aprendizaje accesibles, de alta calidad, asequibles y efectivas da como resultado que 2 de cada 5 jóvenes no estudien, trabajen ni estén capacitándose y a su vez; las mujeres están desproporcionadamente representadas en este grupo. Los logros de aprendizaje continúan en niveles muy bajos para estándares internacionales, en donde los jóvenes en zonas rurales tienen menor índice de asistencia escolar y mayor probabilidades de abandonar sus estudios en comparación con sus contrapartes en zonas urbanas. Al mismo tiempo, alrededor del 50% de las empresas formales en Latinoamérica manifiestan tener problemas para encontrar candidatos y candidatas con las habilidades necesarias.

Con esto en mente, las demandas para todo tipo de profesores y educadores son más complejas que nunca. Al ser esencial el proveer a los estudiantes con las habilidades y conocimientos de aprendizaje a lo largo de la vida necesarias para alcanzar su pleno potencial, los educadores son frecuentemente devaluados, entrenados inadecuadamente y reciben poco apoyo.

Construyendo en los objetivos de desarrollo sostenible de la ONU, TPrize busca encontrar y apoyar soluciones tecnológicas para cerrar la brecha de habilidades para el trabajo y promover oportunidades de aprendizaje para toda la vida en la región de Latinoamérica y el Caribe.  Para lograr esto TPrize está buscando innovadores/as con soluciones prometedoras de todas partes del mundo que ya estén trabajando o tengan planes de expandirse en América Latina y el Caribe. Buscamos soluciones que:

• Propongan modelos de aprendizaje nuevos y alternativos que expandan las trayectorias de empleabilidad y que enseñen habilidades blandas, de emprendimiento, técnicas y de lenguaje.

• Provean acceso equitativo a programas de aprendizaje y capacitación independientemente de la ubicación, ingresos o conectividad en cualquier rincón de la región.

• Apoyen y construyan capacidades de educadores formales e informales para preparar de mejor manera a estudiantes latinoamericanos de todas las edades para los trabajos del hoy y del futuro.

• Utilicen datos para entender de mejor manera las necesidades de los empleadores y mejorar las políticas de información, destino de recursos y habilidades del futuro.

Who can apply to the TPrize Challenge?

The TPrize Challenge is open to:

1. Any domestic or international applicants who are already working in or plan to expand their solution to the Latin America and Caribbean region. 
2. Individual applicants who are at least 18 years old, or teams in which one member is at least 18 years old. 

Applicants can be individual students, entrepreneurs, teams, or established start-ups. If you have a relevant solution, we hope you’ll apply!

How are we CrowdSolving the TPrize Challenge?

1. SOURCING SOLUTIONS Anyone who meets the criteria above can participate in the TPrize Challenge and submit a solution. Whether you have a prototype or scaling your enterprise, we’re looking for innovators and entrepreneurs with the best solutions.
2. SELECTING SOLUTIONS Once the submission deadlines pass, judging begins. After an initial screening by TPrize and Solve staff, TPrize Challenge judges select the most promising solutions as Finalists. These Finalists will be invited to pitch their solutions live at a TPrize Challenge Virtual Pitch Event, where judges will select the winners.

What type of solutions will be accepted to the TPrize Challenge?

Solution applications must be written in English or Spanish. The TPrize Challenge considers solutions at various stages of development.

• Prototype: A venture building and testing its product, service, or business model. Typically described as "Pre-Seed" if For-Profit.
• Pilot: An enterprise deploying a tested product, service, or business model in at least one community. Hybrids and For-Profits would typically be in a "Seed" round and starting to generate revenue (whether or not they are cash flow positive).
• Growth: An enterprise with an established product, service, or business model rolled out, which is poised for further growth in multiple communities or countries. Organizations at this stage should have a clear path towards financial sustainability whether they are nonprofit or for-profit. For-Profits at this stage would be "Seed" or "Series A.”
• Scale: A sustainable enterprise working in several communities or countries and that is looking to scale significantly, focusing on increased efficiency. For-Profits in this stage would be "Series A" or "Series B."

The most important thing is that your solution addresses the focus of the TPrize Challenge.

How will my solution be evaluated?

The judging committee for the TPrize Challenge will be comprised of experts and leaders from across industries. After an initial screening by TPrize and Solve staff, the judges will score the screened solutions based on the following criteria:

• Alignment: The solution addresses the challenge that has been set forth.
• Potential for Impact: The planned solution implementation has the potential to impact lives and drive economic growth in Latin America and the Caribbean.
• Scalability:  The solution can be scaled to affect the lives of more people.
• Feasibility: Solution implementation is feasible, and the team has a plan for financial sustainability.
• Innovative Approach: This is a new solution, a new application of a solution, a new business model, or a new process for solving the challenge, and the team clearly identifies its competitive advantages (e.g. intellectual property)

Selected finalists will pitch before the TPrize Challenge judges and audience during a virtual pitch event in December, as a result of Covid-19. Selected finalists may pitch in either English or Spanish. The judges will determine which solutions are the most promising and those selected will receive prize funding and support from TPrize.

TPrize Challenge Timeline

• December 18, 2019 - TPrize Challenge opens
• March 31, 2020 - Deadline for applicants to submit a solution
• May 2020 - Finalists announced
• December 14-16 2020 - Virtual Pitch Event for Finalists at the 6th International Conference on Educational Innovation

What can I win if my solution is selected?

Finalists will be invited to a pitch event to present their solutions in either English or Spanish in front of distinguished judges. Up to US$100,000 in prize funding is available for the winners of the TPrize Challenge. 

Being selected as a winner is about much more than just prize funding. In addition to funding, TPrize will be providing selected winners of the TPrize Challenge with follow up support, which could include mentorship, incubation and acceleration, IP registration, capacity building, and connection with experts.

Further questions? Please reach out to: help@solve.mit.edu