Thursday, September 30, 2010

Speed Networking Event! Come one, come all!

Interested in the Climate Leadership Challenge but don't want to enter on your own? 

Have a great idea, but need someone with complementary skills from another major or department?

Are you looking for a team or to meet other people interested in the Climate Leadership Challenge?

Come to our Speed Networking event to connect with other interested students, to find a partner or build a team for the Climate Leadership Challenge!


When: Thursday, October 7th, 5:00-6:00 p.m.

Where:Tong Auditorium, Engineering Centers Building

Who: YOU! Even if you're still just rolling the idea of entering around in your mind, come check it out. I'll be there to answer your questions about the Climate Leadership Challenge, and you'll have the opportunity to chat with staff from the other university innovation competitions on campus - Innovation Days (Tong and Schoofs prizes) and The Burrill Business Plan Competition. 

I hope to see you there!

Learn more about Climate Leadership Challange at www.sage.wisc.edu/clc and the other competitions at http://innovation.wisc.edu.

Monday, September 20, 2010

2011 Climate Leadership Challenge: Call for Proposals

What if you could win $50K to launch your ideas into action?

University of Wisconsin-Madison students have the chance to win $50,000 with their innovative ideas and creative solutions for climate change.  We are officially announcing the third annual Climate Leadership Challenge – a philanthropic innovation competition put on by the Nelson Institute Center for Sustainability and the Global Environment

UW-Madison students: we want your proposals for products or programs that address the causes or impacts of climate change.

(Yes, we realize that's a little vague.The point is for you to BE CREATIVE!!!)

In previous years, entrants have been primarily engineering and business students, but don't let that scare off the scientists and artists and communicators among you! We welcome submissions from all disciplines. Like before, we're open to technical innovation, but we're also very interested in ideas that rely on social or interdisciplinary innovation

Focus on a climate change issue that drives your passion and figure out how your skills could be part of the solution. 

The Climate Leadership Challenge wants proposals with three broad characteristics: innovative – an original product or program, or a new improvement or variation on existing products or programs; action-ready – something students could implement if provided with the necessary resources; and scalable – a product or program that could start on a small-scale and expand in scope with more time or funding.

Proposals for the 2011 competition will be due on Friday, March 25, 2011. Six winning teams will be selected to present their proposals at an exposition-style booth at the annual Nelson Institute Earth Day conference, scheduled for April 20, 2011, where the $50,000 Grand Prize winner will be announced.

We’ll be here to answer questions throughout the process, as well as to help play matchmaker for students looking to form interdisciplinary teams with students from other departments. Check out our website for contest details and follow our blog, facebook and twitter accounts to benefit from our updates, guidance and tips for building a successful team and a winning proposal.

Please share, link, repost or email. Just link back here as a courtesy. Thank you!

Thursday, September 9, 2010

What if YOU could be part of the solution?

Our climate is changing, and the impacts touch every aspect of our lives: water, air, biodiversity, agriculture, public health, energy use, transportation, land use…the list goes on.

What if you could be part of the solution?

The Climate Leadership Challenge (CLC) is an annual competition seeking innovative ideas and creative solutions to climate change issues and impacts with the goals of:
-                     inspiring great ideas in the minds of the next generation of leaders,
-                     engaging UW students in the adoption of solutions-oriented approaches to environmental challenges, and
-                     promoting awareness of climate change on campus and in the broader community.


What’s the prize? Grand Prize of $50,000 for one winning team with significant cash prizes for five additional winning teams.
What type of solutions is eligible? All original ideas relating to reducing the causes or impacts of climate change will be considered. Be creative!
Who can enter? All UW-Madison undergrad and graduate students. We encourage participants to form interdisciplinary teams that span multiple academic departments.
How to get involved: No registration necessary. Submit proposals in late March, judging will follow with awards presented at the annual Nelson Institute Earth Day Conference in April. Contact us at sageCLC at gmail.com and stay tuned for more details.

We'll be sharing lots of tips, guidance, and opportunities through the blog, facebook, and twitter, so be sure to follow us to stay up-to-speed on the happenings.


A big thank you to John Surdyk for inviting me to present the Climate Leadership Challenge to about 100 engineering students tonight at IdeasFest. It looks like an exciting year ahead.

The Climate Leadership Challenge is run by the Nelson Institute’s Center for Sustainability and the Global Environment (SAGE) at the University of Wisconsin-Madison and made possible by a generous grant from the Global Stewards Society.

Saturday, September 4, 2010

stay tuned...

We're gearing up to announce the details of the 2011 Climate Leadership Challenge. Stay tuned!