Social Innovation Challenge

The Innovation Hub’s Social Innovation Challenge is an ideation competition where students or student groups compete to solve real-world problems. The goal of this program is to foster real-life, innovative solutions to specific challenges facing our communities. During the challenge, students or student groups will work as a team to develop an innovative approach, product, service, or program and present their ideas to be judged by a panel of innovative and entrepreneurial experts. The submission is an executive summary document that outlines the problem, solution, and implementation procedures you or your team are addressing (see competition guidelines for submission structure). The Innovation Hub’s Social Innovation Challenge will award a winning student group and runners up with cash prizes. 

Fall 2024 Challenge

Addressing Basic Needs Through Community-Driven Solutions

We are seeking practical applications, new regulations, changes to culture and societal attitudes, or changes to resources and technology that are solution-oriented. Some areas of focus relating to basic needs may include:

• • • • Awareness, Access & Advocacy
      • Equity & Diverse Identities
      • Public Policy & Perception
      • Reducing & Mitigating Risk Factors
      • Social Innovation & Structural Reform
      • Technological Resources

Meet the Fall 2024 Winners

Challenge: Addressing Basic Needs Through Community-Driven Solutions

The Fall 2024 Social Innovation Challenge invites students or student groups to propose innovative solutions around basic needs. A student perspective is imperative in the pursuit of ideas that are sustainable, innovative, grounded, and relevant in a rapidly changing world.

Sol Garcia won first place in the challenge for their proposal of The Cougar Transit Center: Emphasizing transit commuters while uplifting all commuters. From his proposal: The Cougar Transit Center, located in the USU building is a remodeling and reinvention of the very sad and unwelcoming commuter lounge that is currently in the USU. This center would be the hub for all things to do with commuting but with a focus on public transit commuters. The Cougar Transit Center would serve as a combination lounge for commuters and a center where transit commuter students could access resources and amenities with the help of student workers.

Tyler Smith, Mason Kingsbury, and Luis Fabian were the first runner-ups with their proposal of A scheduled ride service, C.A.T. (Cougar Accessible Transportation). From their proposal: The program would work within the CSUSM DSS (Disabled Student Services) infrastructure that exists and create website, phone based and app based options to schedule a ride from designated locations on campus and the transit stations. Eventually, in later implementation phases, this program would create on demand services and provide an ADA accessible shuttle service.

Jaidyn Gutierrez was the second runner up in this challenge with her proposal of The “Let’s Talk” Program: Bringing Mental Health Support Directly to Students. From Jaidyn's proposal: The “Let’s Talk” program offers an innovative way to make mental health services more accessible, approachable, and effective. Designed as a series of drop-in consultations held in familiar campus settings, the program gives students the chance to have informal conversations with licensed counselors and/or qualified peer advisors.

Learn more about our past challenge winners.

Keep an eye out for the next upcoming challenge in Spring 2025.
Please review the Competition Guide.