MWFAAN calls application Beyond School Community Challenge 2020.

The Beyond School Community Challenge is a flagship initiative of The Mandela Washington Fellowship Alumni Association of Nigeria in collaboration with United States Mission to develop entrepreneurial mindsets of young people between 13-17 who are predominantly in both public and private secondary schools across Nigeria.

The Challenge

The Challenge identifies top finalists annually from the pool of applications received across Nigeria, where top finalists selected are invited to pitch and exhibit their entrepreneurial ideas at the National Youth Leaders’ Summit.

The 2020 Beyond School Community Challenge is a Web and STEM-based hackathon on COVID 19 solutions to help Nigerian communities survive the COVID 19 pandemic. The Hackathon topics will be based on case studies on Medicine/ Health and Wellness, Education, Agriculture, Women and Girls Development, Entrepreneurship, and Sports for communities during the COVID 19 pandemic. The Hackathon will hold virtually for selected teams across Nigeria.

Objectives 

The main objectives of the Beyond School Community Challenge are to:

• Identify viable technology-based entrepreneurship concept/pilot ideas emanating from high schools, prospective entrepreneurs in the provision of COVID 19 solutions to address their challenges presently, and in the post- COVID future they are yet to see, through funding and mentorship.
• Design a holistic approach to quality technology-based entrepreneurship education and its practices as enshrined in the national school curriculum in both secondary schools and tertiary institutions in Nigeria.
• Provide an environment for experiential learning and learning beyond the classrooms through panel discussions, interactive sessions, networking, and collaborative learning practices for these budding entrepreneurs to thrive outside their traditional classrooms.
• Deploy Education and Entrepreneurship as catalysts to advancing United Nations Sustainable Development Goals in Nigeria.

Benefits

National winning teams are awarded prizes in form of project and educational grants, Teacher/Mentor Prizes as well as certificates of recognition for both teams and their school/educational institutions.

Seed funding for teams will be provided for the top three winning teams as follows:

• First Prize: N 350,000
• Second Prize: N 250,000
• Third Prize: N 150,000
• 4th – 10th Positions: Certificates of Recognition

A one week Hackathon would take place for all 20 teams and the 10 shortlisted teams would be invited for an elevator pitch, exhibition, and voting process by the audience at the virtual summit with 3 top Teams/Finalists emerging as winners.

Eligibility

• Applicants must be a team of 4 consisting of 3 young people between the ages of 13-17years and a Teacher/Mentor, aged 20 years and above.
• The Call for Applications opens on the 24th of August 2020 and closes at 11:59 p.m on the 12th of September 2020.

Requirements 

Applicants can all come from different schools/Educational Institutions but must agree on a team name and be willing to work together during the hackathon under their mentor in proffering community-based solution to the COVID 19 pandemic).

• All Teams, schools or Educational Institutions must be based in Nigeria
• Applicants must have access to strong and reliable internet.
  Applicants must be willing to grant both print and electronic media interviews if selected.

Beyond School Community Challenge 2020