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Innovation Challenges

Overview

For over a decade, the Academy has worked with partners across industry, academia, and government to offer Innovation Challenges, virtual competitions that engage student innovators to apply their curiosity and creativity to solve real-world problems. Using the Academy’s unique online platform, Launchpad, participants collaborate on project-based activities while spanning time zones and cultures. Browse our current Innovation Challenges as well as past Challenges below.

Active Challenges

Living in the Extremes

Our world is constantly changing; with the rise of severe natural disasters mainly due to climate change and our growing world population, we must explore ways to live in more extreme environments. In this challenge, you will focus on one “extreme environment” and propose a comprehensive solution to sustain life there.
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Air Quality & Health

Air quality has been a known health issue to people and cultures around the world for hundreds of years. Today air pollution is believed to account for 7 million deaths annually, most of which are the result of non-communicable diseases (NCDs). Design a technical solution to address a key source of pollution.
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Previous Challenges with Resources

Ethical AI

AI is changing the landscape of the world as we know it. How can we maximize the benefits of AI while also implementing useful boundaries to minimize the disadvantages and dangers? In this challenge, you will develop a solution to address one specific issue that AI poses.
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Sculpture made of glass bottles

Upcycling and Waste Management

In this challenge, you will be designing a comprehensive solution to waste management at a scale that makes a measurable impact. We will explore how we can make small and large changes that lead us all to a more mindful and resourceful future.
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Remediation in South Brooklyn

Offshore wind has the potential to reimagine the cityscape of New York City. In this challenge you will design solutions that remediate the building of offshore wind renewable energy infrastructure in New York City through the lens of STEM and the community, focusing on land and water preparation.
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From the Academy Blog

An inside look at our innovation challenges teams and their impressive accomplishments.