Climate Leadership Challenge

2011 CLC First-Round Winners Announced!

2011-04-15T12:03:00.001-05:00

Congratulations to the 2011
Climate Leadership Challenge
First Round Winners!

Each team was awarded a $2000 prize and they now compete for the $50,000 Grand Prize, to be determined and announced at the 5th Annual Nelson Institute Earth Day Conference. (Today is the registration deadline! Free for students - register now!)

BioGRASP (Biogas Growth: Regional and Sustainable Partnerships) supports climate change mitigation and adaptation through the creation of a collaborative network of biogas installations at small businesses and institutions across western Uganda. The program will (1) Collaborate with local biogas experts in Uganda to identify interested biogas clients, (2) Construct 5-10 biogas systems, (3) Connect prospective new clients with existing expertise by hosting open houses at the newly constructed systems, and (4) Cultivate the expansion of small-scale biogas in Uganda and Wisconsin by creating multi-media informational materials and sharing Ugandan expert knowledge with Wisconsin. When a critical mass of dynamic entrepreneurs and leaders see what biogas has to offer, this cost-saving, eco-friendly business solution will develop its own market. BioGRASP kick-starts this process. Team Members: Aleia McCord, Jeffery Starke and Sarah Stefanos

The BrightWater Initiative will provide an innovative, self-sustaining purification solution to reduce casualties stemming from toxic water consumption. With 1.1 billion people across the world living without access to sanitary drinking water, the consumption of harmful chemicals and bacteria result in the deaths of millions each year. As global warming transforms water resources everywhere, diminishing water quality continually magnifies the risks of illness and disease for people residing in developing regions. Increased runoff, highly concentrated algal blooms, and many other negative effects linked to climatic alterations increase the severity of the adaptive struggle between humans and their respective environments. With limited knowledge and resources necessary to overcome the threats posed by the changing climate, inhabitants of developing regions rely on assistance and support from forward thinking individuals and organizations. BrightWater purification systems will serve as a powerful ally for regions in need, removing harmful chemicals and bacteria from drinking water resources. Beginning with regions surrounding Punta Gorda, Belize, clean water will never again be considered a privilege, but a right shared equally by everyone everywhere. Team Members: Brad Lindevig, Parikshith Lingampaly, Luke Voellinger, Josh Zent

The Cellulose Digesting Biogas Plants for Hydrogen Production project (CDBP) proposes an innovative new way to produce hydrogen from plant sugars and we explore how this emerging technology might be used in biogas plants to produce carbon-neutral hydrogen from agricultural waste. Currently, 95% of the 9 million tons of hydrogen used annually in the US is extracted from fossil fuels through a process that contributes significantly to greenhouse gas emissions. Our aim is to eliminate this dirty, centralized hydrogen production by building a network of hydrogen biogas plants. We have succeeded in creating a model for hydrogen biogas plants by utilizing newly discovered synthetic metabolism technology. We are researching and developing this model in order to implement CDBP on farms across America as soon as possible. Team Members: Joseph Keuler, Matthew Kirk, Patrick Kirk, David Osmalov

The Refrigerator Aider will boost the efficiency of domestic refrigerators by 10% or more through an innovative ventilation system that requires no additional energy or moving parts. Food refrigeration enhances the health and quality of life for billions of people around the world; however, refrigeration also represents a major source of energy consumption that is expected to grow in decades to come. This energy usage could be reduced if household refrigerators operated with proper ventilation, but most kitchen layouts place the refrigerator in a corner or surround it with cabinets, ovens and other large appliances that hinder airflow. As a result, stagnant air surrounding the refrigerator becomes hot and the refrigerator must continuously expend more energy to keep its contents cold. To address this issue while simultaneously conserving kitchen space, The Refrigerator Aider uses inexpensive, thermally insulating materials to establish a convectively cooled region around the refrigerator using air from outside the house. Winnings from the competition will be used to fund a series of experiments and a subsequent information campaign alerting companies of this technology so that it may be rapidly deployed on a large scale in order to help conserve energy worldwide. Team Member: Mike Hvasta

Congratulations to the First-Round Winners and good luck!

The Climate Leadership Challenge is a program of the Nelson Institute Center for Sustainability and the Global Environment and made possible through generous support from the Global Stewards Society - John F. & Mary Cooper; Gary & Ellora
Cooper; Christine Cooper; John & Mary Noreika; Peter Vogel, Vogel Brothers Building Company; David Beck-
Engel, J.H. Findorff & Son; Scott J. Repert, Superior Health Linens.

Last minute tips

2011-03-15T15:59:00.000-05:00

Only a week and a half until proposals are due! Here are a few last minute tips for you.

1. Make sure you reference work, projects or studies similar to yours. Show the judges you have done your research on your topic, and acknowledge the relevant work that has been done to date.

2. Run your proposal past a trusted professor, advisor or expert from the community for some constructive feedback. As program manager, I am happy to answer specific questions about your proposals, but it will be to your benefit to pass off the proposal to a mentor of sorts for a "pre-review".

3. Keep your proposals to the 20 page limit (plus budget)! The guidelines for length of sub-sections is flexible and only a suggested guideline, but the 20 page limit is firm.

4. While the website states that the deadline is 5pm on March 25, I have announced at workshops and meetings that we will accept submissions that reach my inbox (sageCLC@gmail.com) by 11:59 p.m. on March 25. We recognize that a lot of work can be done in the final hours before a deadline, so hopefully this cushion will help some of you out.

We look forward to receiving your proposals and reading all about your innovative ideas! Best of luck to you all.

Less than one month until submission deadline!

2011-03-02T11:28:00.000-06:00

Less than one month until proposals are due. YOU STILL HAVE TIME!!

Come to our final informational session on

Monday, March 7, 4:30-5:30

Rm. 175 Science Hall

Ask your questions.

Find your team.

You can be part of the solution.

What's your idea?

From Competition to Career: a CLC event on Feb. 15, 2011

2011-02-10T15:16:00.001-06:00

How innovation competitions can benefit your career development - an event hosted by Climate Leadership Challenge

We're excited to invite you to our upcoming event From Competition to Career on Tuesday, February 15 from 4:30-5:30 p.m. Join us at the Wisconsin Institutes for Discovery Town Center for a CLC-sponsored informational session featuring a panel of experts speaking on how innovation competitions look appealing to prospective employers and how they can even prepare you to start your own business or nonprofit organization.

The panel will feature John Klatt, Director of Advising and Career Services for UW-Madison's College of Agriculture and Life Sciences; Allen Dines, Assistant Director of New Ventures and Private Equity at the UW-Madison Office of Corporate Relations, and Chris Meyer, founder of the nonprofit community workspace Sector67. The panelists will speak on topics including how to turn your competition experience into more than a one-liner on your resume, why employers look favorably on competition experiences, and how the experience of participating in a student innovation competition can help prepare you for starting your own business or nonprofit.

Come for an hour of networking and information. Coffee and cookies provided. Please RSVP to sageCLC@gmail.com so we can get an idea of how many will attend. Hope to see you there!

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Check out the new CLC video flyer for the basics of the CLC and what we're looking for in a proposal!

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Relevant lecture: Sustainable Infrastructure

2011-01-21T14:20:00.000-06:00

Please mark your calendars for this semester's first Weston Roundtable Lecture! The Weston Roundtable series, co-sponsored by the Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering and SAGE (the Nelson Institute Center for Sustainability and the Global Environment), focuses on issues in sustainability science, technology, and policy. Each seminar includes significant time for Q&A and discussion, and is preceded by tea/cookies for networking with colleagues across campus. We've have some fantastic talks scheduled for this coming semester, with research, business, and communication leaders from on- and off-campus.

Graduate students interested in earning 1-credit for weekly attendance are invited to enroll in ES900 Seminar in Sustainability Science, Technology, and Policy. But, enrolled or not, we hope all students, faculty, and researchers will mark this exciting series as a regular part of your weekly schedule.

Our first talk of 2011 addresses recycled materials, by UW-Madison's own, Prof. Craig Benson.

Hope to see you there this week and in future weeks!

Prof. Craig Benson

"The Role of Recycled Materials in Sustainable Infrastructure"

Geological Engineering and Civil & Environmental Engineering, UW-Madison

Web site: http://www.engr.wisc.edu/interd/gep/benson.html

Place: 1106 Mechanical Engineering

Prof. Craig Benson

Thursday, January 27 4:15 - 5:15

tea/cookies from 4:00 - 4:15

Welcome back!

2011-01-12T10:27:00.000-06:00

I hope everyone had a nice holiday season and a relaxing and recharging break from classes and research. Hopefully the break has recharged your creativity and motivation, and you're ready to move on your Climate Leadership Challenge ideas!

Did you know that the Climate Leadership Challenge is the biggest environmental innovation competition on a college campus? Your innovative solutions to the causes or impacts of climate change could make a real impact on the world and could win you $50,000!

A reminder: we're looking for all kinds of innovation -- technical and social alike. You can propose a product or a program, as long as you are presenting a new idea, or a novel improvement on something that's already out there. Your idea needs to be action-ready -- something you could implement if given the necessary time and resources. And your idea needs to be scalable -- something that may start small or local, but that has the capacity to grow and expand, impacting a greater area or a larger population.

There's no time to waste. Proposals are due in just over two months. While we do not require you to have your product manufactured or your program in place, you do need to outline exactly how you will get from point A to point B, and how if given time and money, you would move your idea forward. The further you develop your idea, the better. Be sure to make the connection to climate change as clear as you can.

Still looking for a team? Follow these steps to help find some teammates.

Have an idea with which you're already moving forward? Make an appointment to come chat with me about it. I keep all conversations and ideas confidential, and it is to your benefit to share at least the generals with me. I am here to make sure you're on track with what we're looking for, and to steer you to helpful resources. So email me at sageCLC at gmail to set up a time to chat.

Good luck, and get moving!!

4 Ways to Build a Team

2010-12-08T12:33:00.001-06:00

You're interested in the Climate Leadership Challenge. You have interests and skills to contribute, and maybe even an idea to pursue. But you're looking for teammates and don't know how to find them. Here are four quick and easy ways to build your CLC team and increase your chances of winning the Challenge!

1. Post a note on your facebook page. Tell your friends that you're interested in entering a student innovation competition that calls for creative solutions to the causes or impacts of climate change, and that you have the chance to win between $2000 and $50,000. You can also remind them of the other great reasons to enter the Challenge and of all you gain from the experience alone. You probably have friends who haven't yet heard of the CLC, and your facebook post may be enough to get them interested.

2. Post a note on the CLC facebook page. Others visiting the page will see it, and then I'll know that you're interested and looking. I have been able to introduce students and help direct students with particular skills towards teammates who are looking for those skills, and I'm happy to help you, too. You just have to let me know you're looking.

3. Join our Ning network. Add your name to one of the groups - 'Idea-makers' or 'Teammate for Hire', place a 'want-ad' or create a profile with your background, skills and interests. The more students join the Ning network, the better use it can be. For those of you who don't know, the Ning group is a private social networking site, open and visible only to those who join it. We've created one for the CLC as a way to facilitate team-building and networking. Pop on over and check out who is already waiting for you now!

4. Come this Thursday evening (5-6:30pm) to our in-person networking/team-building event at Sector67! Hear more about the CLC, ask your questions, get a tour of the resources at Sector67 (click for map) and do some networking. We'll share our backgrounds and skills we have to offer, and you'll have the chance to talk with other students who are in the same boat as you. You may even come away with fully-formed team!

While individuals may enter the CLC on their own, we strongly encourage the formation of interdisciplinary teams. Over the past two years, the strongest proposals have come from teams. So put your heads together, combine your skills, and let's hear your ideas for confronting climate change.

You can be part of the solution - what's your idea?

CLC Networking/Team-building Event with Sector67 membership grants!

2010-12-02T13:49:00.000-06:00

Next week Thursday, December 9, the Climate Leadership Challenge will be hosting a team-building/networking event for all those interested in entering the Challenge. We'll meet from 5:00-6:30pm at the very cool new Sector67, started by a UW-Madison alum and former CLC participant.

Sector67 is a start up TechShop / Hacker space / Makerspace / Collaborative Environment on the east side of Madison dedicated to providing members the opportunity to work on tomorrow's technology; to build, collaborate, learn, and teach about next generation devices. Sector67 has work space, equipment and tools available to members who are looking to build, craft, sew, draw, construct, weld, and much much more - making it an ideal location for CLC teams to work.

That's why the CLC is thrilled to offer 4-month membership grants to the first four teams (1-4 people per team) who register for this event.

The event will run from 5pm until 6:30 on Thursday, Dec. 9, with pizza and beverages provided. RSVP to sageCLC@gmail.com by noon on Dec. 9.

Sector67 is just blocks off the bike path (a 15-20 minute ride from campus) and accessible by several bus routes. Routes 3, 6, 14 and 15 run down East Washington Ave, just a couple of blocks behind Sector67, and Route 4 runs right in front of the building at the Atwood/Winnebago intersection.

Worth the Watch

2010-10-26T15:32:00.000-05:00

Check out this fantastic mini-documentary on the 2010 Climate Leadership Challenge, with footage from last year's competition at the Nelson Institute Earth Day conference.

It's worth the watch:

2010 Climate Leadership Challenge from Climate Leadership Challenge on Vimeo.

A big thanks to Peter Boger for the filming and production!

Announcing: New CLC Team Building Site!

2010-10-25T10:37:00.000-05:00

I'm excited to announce a new tool for those of you who are interested in building a team for the Climate Leadership Challenge. We've created a Ning network, which is a private, customized social network for groups with related interests. We're inviting you to join (it's free) so that we can use the site to create profiles that list our departments, skills, and interests in order to allow networking and team building based on pairing students with complimentary skills.

Here is the invitation to join:

http://climateleadershipchallenge.ning.com/?xgi=2TsUpvsrEcIINU

Please pass it on.

I have written instructions for what details to include about yourself. The goal is to get everyone who is interested in entering the CLC to join the Ning site so that you all can use it as a match-making method to form your teams.

Please be in touch with any questions : sageCLC@gmail.com

ALSO: if you would like to meet in person, my office is Room 264 at SAGE on Old University in the Institute for Enzyme Research building (right by the pedestrian bridge that crosses University). Please email to set up an appointment. I'm happy to meet with you to answer questions, direct you to resources, or to serve as a sounding board for your ideas. I'm here to support YOU! So please be in touch anytime.

Looking forward to hearing from you! Now go join Ning and tell your friends!

Interview with 2010 CLC Winner

2010-10-14T23:54:00.000-05:00

Check out this great coverage of 2010 Climate Leadership Challenge winnter, Claus Moberg of SnowShoeFood LLC to spark your ideas for this year's competition!

(after the first interview)

Wisconsin Bioenergy Summit from The Daily Cardinal on Vimeo.

5 Reasons Why You Should Enter the Climate Leadership Challenge

2010-10-06T20:31:00.001-05:00

Why should you invest your time and energy in crafting a proposal for the Climate Leadership Challenge?

Here are five reasons:

1. You could win the $50,000 Climate Leadership Challenge Grand Prize to launch that great idea of yours into action -- start a business, sell your idea, form a non-profit, fund your research...the opportunities are endless.

2. Participating in the Climate Leadership Challenge looks really good on a résumé - future employers, funding sources, and graduate schools will look highly on your ambition and innovation.

3. It's a great opportunity to meet faculty, staff, and other campus resources like the folks at the Wisconsin Alumni Research Foundation (WARF) who are able to share their knowledge and expertise, which will benefit you in your academic and career goals far beyond the Climate Leadership Challenge.

4. Even if you don't win, you will have caught the attention of future employers, funders, and business partners in the community simply by participating in the Climate Leadership Challenge. (Even the kids who don't win American Idol still go home with a record deal, right?)

5. Climate change is impacting every facet of our lives - food, air, water, transportation, land use, public health...you have the capacity to make a difference. The Climate Leadership Challenge can help you do that.

So what's your idea?

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Please help us spread the word by sharing this post on Facebook and twitter. Thanks!

Technical Solutions to Climate Change - meet the expert!

2010-10-04T22:07:00.001-05:00

I'm excited to share with you another great opportunity to help you prepare for the 2011 Climate Leadership Challenge!

For those of you interested in technical solutions to climate change, this Friday you'll have the chance to pick the brain of an expert about your ideas.

Dr. Klaus Lackner, a professor from Columbia University and pioneer in developing technology to capture carbon dioxide from ambient air, is visiting campus on Friday, October 8 to give a public lecture about his research. Full details of the event are provided here.

Dr. Lackner is open to and enthusiastic about meeting with students who are interested in entering the Climate Leadership Challenge to talk with you about your questions and ideas. I can't stress what an incredible opportunity this is for you to sit down individually or with a small group for a discussion with Dr. Lackner.

If you are interested in setting up a brief chat, Dr. Lackner will be available from 2:30-3:30pm in 2180 Mechanical Engineering this Friday, October 8.

If you are interested -- please contact me (sageCLC at gmail) or Scott Williams (spwilliams at wisc.edu) to set it up.

Dr. Klaus Lackner is a professor in the Department of Earth and Environmental Engineering at Columbia University. He is also the director of the Lenfest Center for Sustainable Energy at the Earth Institute. Dr. Lackner’s principal fields of interest include: Carbon management; alternative fuels and energy management; fluid mechanics and transport processes; applied physics. The specific on-going research efforts of Lackner's group range from the development of a new technology to capture carbon from the air to the investigation of an approach to energy production and conversion that favors smaller units that are mass-produced, modular, and controlled in aggregate by cheap automation and control systems. He co-founded Global Research Technologies in 2004 as a mechanism to commercialize carbon dioxide air capture technologies. Dr. Lackner received his Ph.D in Physics from Heidelberg University.

And don't forget about the Speed-Networking event this Thursday at 5:30 in the Engineering Centers Building's Tong Auditorium! Come one, come all.

Hope to see you there! And as always - please help spread the word by sharing a link to this post on twitter and facebook. Thanks!

Speed Networking Event! Come one, come all!

2010-09-30T22:24:00.000-05:00

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.

2011 Climate Leadership Challenge: Call for Proposals

2010-09-20T00:01:00.010-05:00

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!

What if YOU could be part of the solution?

2010-09-09T22:19:00.001-05:00

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.

stay tuned...

2010-09-04T14:30:00.000-05:00

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

Upcoming Events

2009-11-11T13:16:00.000-06:00

Climate Solutions Discussion
Tuesday, November 24th, 4:00 pm
Science Hall, Rm. 140

Come to an informal discussion about climate change science, policy, impacts, and -- most of all -- possible solutions. Bring your questions and ideas! All students and faculty welcome. Discussion will be facilitated by Prof. Tracey Holloway, Director of the Nelson Institute Center for Sustainability and the Global Environment (SAGE) and Co-chair of the Climate Leadership Challenge.

Additional discussions may be scheduled in December, January, and February, depending on interest.

CLC Team-Forming
Thursday, Nov. 19th, 5:30 pm
Science Hall, Rm. 175

All students interested in assembling or joining a team to compete in the Climate Leadership Challenge are invited to attend this team-forming event. Come meet other students and find potential teammates.

A second CLC Team-Forming session will be held on Thursday, Dec. 3rd, 5:30 pm, at 175 Science Hall.

Informational Meeting - Nov. 10th

2009-10-27T13:47:00.001-05:00

There will be another CLC informational meeting on November 10th at 2:30 p.m. The location will again be Rm. 175 in Science Hall. Come to find out more details about the CLC and ask questions if you have them.

Reminder about Informational Meetings

2009-10-12T17:23:00.000-05:00

Informational meetings about the Climate Leadership Challenge are underway. The first one was held this past Thursday, October 8th. Sixteen interested students attended, and because we overestimated how much pizza to buy, everyone got a pizza to take home with them!

The next informational meeting will be this Thursday, October 15th, 6:30pm, 175 Science Hall. A November meeting date will be announced later this week - most likely, it will not be a Thursday and it will likely be in the afternoon, to accommodate those with scheduling conflicts on Thursday evenings.

Thanks to those who attended on the 8th, and I hope to see a good turnout this Thursday!

Prof. Nemet promotes CLC on WPR

2009-09-30T09:53:00.000-05:00

CLC faculty coordinator Greg Nemet participated in a discussion about climate change on Wisconsin Public Radio this past Monday morning (9/28/09, 10am). To listen to the discussion, go to...

http://www.wpr.org/kathleendunn/index.cfm?strDirection=Prev&dteShowDate=2009-09-28%2022%3A00%3A00

...and click on the "Listen to Archive" link.

Prof. Nemet mentioned the CLC as one of the ways UW-Madison is promoting creative ideas to address climate change, about 25 minutes into the recording.

Important Dates to Remember

2009-09-16T12:22:00.000-05:00

Submissions for the Climate Leadership Challenge will be due on:

Thursday March 25th, 2010, 5:00 pm

Please note that this is the Thursday before Spring Break - if potential travel arrangements will conflict with the submission date you can certainly submit your project early.

Following the review of every submission, eight (8) projects will be selected as finalists, which will be announced on:

Tuesday April 6th, 2010

Presentations for the selected finalists will be at the Nelson Institute Earth Day Conference on:

Tuesday April 20th, 2010

At least one team member should be available for most of April 20th to present your project to the judges. Awards will be presented on the second day of the Conference, April 21st.

Informational Meetings

2009-09-16T12:17:00.000-05:00

Informational meetings for the Climate Leadership Challenge will be held on the following dates:

Thursday Oct. 8th, 6:30 pm, Science Hall, Rm. 175

Thursday Oct. 15th, 6:30 pm, Science Hall, Rm. 175

More meetings will be scheduled in November, so don't fret if you can't make the October meetings. Also, FREE PIZZA will be provided at the October meetings - so if $100,000 in prizes isn't enough to get you there, maybe free pizza will do it.

Climate Leadership Challenge 2010 Kickoff

2009-09-04T13:56:00.000-05:00

Welcome interested students!

The Climate Leadership Challenge blog will serve to communicate developing details about the competition. For more information about the CLC, please visit http://www.sage.wisc.edu/CLC.

Prizes for the 2010 CLC have doubled! This year's grand prize will be $50,000 towards the implementation of the winning product, policy, or program. In addition, the winning individual or team will be offered a 12-month lease on a suite at the University Research Park’s new east side facility, the Metro Innovation Center, to help put the winning idea into action. Up to $50,000 of additional money will be distributed as additional prizes.

Informational sessions will be held near the beginning of October. The sessions will provide more details about the CLC and a chance to ask questions about the competition. Exact dates and times are yet to be determined, so stay posted.