Learning for Civic Action Challenge – May 9

Posted by MIT Solve on April 4, 2023

MIT Solve invites applications for Learning for Civic Action Challenge.

According to MIT Solve, more people today are interested in community-focused careers and activities, yet many, especially youth, feel they do not have a voice or choose not to participate in community, state, national, or global governance. A lack of formal opportunities to learn and practice civic skills is linked with drastic variations in access to civic education worldwide. As examples from Malawi, Pakistan, and the United States show, the aims and strategies of civic curricula differ across countries and often exclude important components like critical thinking and participatory, hands-on learning. While many countries face these and other unique challenges, they also hold valuable lessons for how diverse cultural and linguistic traditions, leadership, and knowledge can and should be included in a more holistic understanding of citizen development.

The MIT Solve community seeks eight technology-enabled solutions that help learners effectively act on community and global issues by deepening civic knowledge and practicing collaborative problem-solving. Solve seeks solutions that: provide access to improved civic action learning in a wide range of contexts with educator support for classroom-based approaches and community-building opportunities for out-of-school, community-based approaches; help learners acquire key civic skills and knowledge, including how to assess the credibility of information, engage across differences, understand one’s agency, and engage with issues of power, privilege, and injustice; build core social-emotional learning skills, including self-awareness, self-management, social awareness, relationship skills, and responsible decision-making; and enable learners to bridge civic knowledge with taking action by understanding real-world problems, building networks, organizing plans for collective action, and exploring prosocial careers.

All teams selected for Solve’s Global Challenges will receive a $10,000 grant. Additionally, the GSR Foundation will award a prize to solutions that use innovative technology to address pressing issues in their communities and the world (preference will be given to solutions that use blockchain to improve financial inclusion). Up to $200,000 will be awarded across several Solver teams from any of Solve’s 2023 Global Challenges.

Additionally, supported by the Patrick J. McGovern Foundation, the AI for Humanity Prize is open to solutions leveraging data science, artificial intelligence, and/or machine learning to benefit humanity. Up to $150,000 in funding will be awarded across several Solver teams from any of Solve’s 2023 Global Challenges.

For complete program guidelines and application instructions, see the MIT Solve website.

Deadline: May 9, 2023