The Future Project & challengefuture Present the 2011 Global Student Innovation Competition

challengefuture, a Global Youth Think Tank, based in Slovenia, is creating a community of talent and ideas for a world that works for all. Through futuristic thinking and global collaboration, challengefuture inspires tomorrow’s talent and ideas and connect them with today’s opportunities. At the heart of the think tank’s efforts is the challengefuture Global Student Innovation Competition – the leading worldwide web-based contest for youth built on the principles of open innovation, and open collaboration. The competition concludes with a face-to-face challengefuture Summit in Slovenia; a life-changing event connecting the most innovative youth, pioneering businesses, policy leaders and other change makers in dialogue, reflection, and action.

challengefuture has grown to a community of over 14,000 students from 200 countries and 991 countries in the last year – thus launching the initiative called challengefuture chapters. A need to welcome on board the continent Africa filled with youth possessing ideas that could result to the next-big thing has led to a partnership between the network and Nigerian youth organisation, The Future Project.

“The maiden edition 2009/2010 focused on the future of connecting, with focus on the future of Transportation, Communication, Health, Media, and Prosperity,” says Nubi Kayode, a representative from challengefuture, working with The Future Project team. “It was an amazing competition which brought about ideas that challenged the future. A new metro Interior design to cut down idle time by 25% by modifying the door-system, sitting arrangement and seat designs won the grand prize. This is an incredible opportunity for the Nigerian youth to not only have internal collaborations with fellow Nigerians but with the rest of world in shaping ideas.”

The theme for this year is Fun + Meaning^2 = 2030; a focus on the future of Fun. “Looking at the challenges we have in the world today – water scarcity, food shortages, economic crisis, uprisings in the Arabic world, and so on, one may wonder why Fun would be on anybody’s mind,” says Kenneth Oliko, Communication Coordinator for The Future Project.” But, if we pause to look at what embedding meaningful fun in creating, design, volunteering, working, and other areas of life, would do, then the world can only become a better place. A good example of an initiative that has taken advantage of meaningful fun is the TED Conferences.”

To participate as a young person, whether as a student or non-student, join the community by simply registering on http://challengefuture.org. Thereafter, you can form teams in accordance with the rules which can also be found on the website. These teams would then work on an idea based on the future of fun in any area of life – education, sports, community development, health, volunteering, working, examination (assessment system), etc. Information on the timeline and other Frequently Asked Questions can also be accessed on the website.

Deadline: Thursday 24 March 2011

Further information is available on www.thefuturenigeria.com. You can also make further enquiries by sending an e-mail to [email protected] or calling 081 8062 6816 or 080 2620 2349.