Are you 24 and under and passionate about making a positive impact in your community and the world? If your answer is “yes!,” we want to hear about your solution.

Young people hold the empathy, power, and ingenuity to solve problems, in their communities, the world, and everywhere in between. Solv[ED] is designed to spark a sense of agency in young people aged 24 and under, encouraging, inspiring, and supporting them to become problem-solvers in their communities and the world.

Millions of children are still out of school. The negative impacts of climate change continue to accelerate and shock our natural, social, and economic systems. Economic inequality is growing within and between countries. A global pandemic is exacerbating and exposing massive health and social inequities. We need everyone to roll up their sleeves and take part in addressing these challenges, even (and especially) when we feel overwhelmed. Each one of us has a role to play. And it’s never too early to get started.

Are you age 24 and under? Whoever you are, wherever you are in the world, we want to hear from you about your solution!

The Solv[ED] Youth Innovation Challenge is an opportunity for you to submit your tech-based solution that:

Improves learning opportunities and outcomes for learners across their lifetimes, from early childhood on
Supports financial and economic opportunities for all
Accelerates healthcare access and health outcomes, reducing and, ultimately, eliminating disparities in health
Takes action to combat climate change and its impacts
Addresses an unmet social, environmental, or economic need not covered in the four topics above.

Benefits

The 10 most promising solutions will be selected by our judges as Solv[ED] Innovators.
Over $200,000 is available in prize funding to share among selected Solv[ED] Innovators.
In addition to prize funding, selected Solv[ED] Innovators will receive mentorship and coaching from members of the MIT and MIT Solve community.

Prizes

Solv[ED] Youth Innovation Challenge Prize

All solutions selected for the Solv[ED] Youth Innovation Challenge will receive a minimum grant of $5,000 each. Additional funding from a pool of $60,000 will be made available to the innovators selected. This funding is made possible by an anonymous donor.

The HP Girls Save the World Prize

The HP Girls Save the World Prize is open to solutions addressing sustainability issues and led by girls aged 13-18. The prize is funded by HP and is a part of HP’s commitment to climate action, human rights and digital equity. A $10,000 prize will be granted to a Solv[ED] Innovator from the Solv[ED] Youth Innovation Challenge, and all eligible solutions may be invited to join HP’s Girls Save the World program with additional funding of up to $40,000 and support opportunities. The program empowers girls with a platform to use their vital voices and become agents of change in their communities and future activists, legislators, and change-makers.

The Pozen Social Innovation Prize

The Pozen Social Innovation Prize is open to all solutions submitted to the Solv[ED] Youth Innovation Challenge, in particular those that aim to improve quality of life for women and girls. Up to $80,000 will be granted to Solv[ED] Innovators for their solutions to unmet social, environmental, educational, and economic needs in their communities and the world.

Application Deadline: January 18th, 2022