During Global Entrepreneurship Week each November, DECA Inc., proves that anyone, anywhere can create an innovative solution to a real-world challenge – even if they still have to finish elementary school.
The DECA Idea Challenge, a premier event of Global Entrepreneurship Week, has worked to foster the entrepreneurial spirit in students from elementary school through university, by challenging them to find an innovative new use for a common, everyday item in just eight days. The item to be used in the challenge will remain a mystery until revealed by DECA on November 12.
“It’s pretty amazing,” said Adrienne Burda, learning and assessment programs specialist with DECA. “Especially for some of the countries, like Bermuda last year, may have only had three team entries, but it sort of sparked something, [and they] used that even in their other local competitions for their elementary schools. It was great to see that we have an avenue, that we have an activity that allows students to express themselves in a way they might not have though of before.”
DECA, which has been a part of the GEW movement since its inception in 2008, began the Idea Challenge in 2012 in the United States and expanded to more than a dozen countries by 2016. The challenge encourages students to be imaginative and resourceful, while learning about the entrepreneurial process.
“In 2012, we had about 400 entries,” Burda said. “In this past year we had about 2,048 entries from 17 different countries. This is the biggest reach we’ve had this past year in terms of participating countries.”
Chris Young, high school division director with DECA, who has been part of DECA since Global Entrepreneurship Week began, said the Idea Challenge is a way for students to learn creativity and collaboration – two key 21st century skills students need before entering the workforce.
“[The Idea Challenge] is inspiring because it doesn’t matter who you are or where you come from, it focuses on creating something new and being innovative and collaborating with a team to come up with a solution for something,” said Young. “That’s the whole idea behind how we select the items too – something that everyone has access to so that everyone can participate. “
Mystery items used in the past include plastic grocery bags, aluminum beverage cans, newspaper, cardboard boxes and plastic bottles. To participate, students must organize a team, generate an original use for the challenge item, create a video pitch of invention, and submit entry online by the deadline.
“I think it’s enlightening for the students to create new things,” said Burda. “I know it’s enlightening for us and all of the judges we have, that these [students] are the future leaders of their respective countries.”
One elementary or middle school, one high school and one college or university team will be recognized as the DECA Idea Challenge global winners. Each team will receive an award and be featured on both the DECA and Global Entrepreneurship Week websites.
Here are the key dates for the challenge:
- November 12, 2017 - mystery item announced at 4:00 p.m. ET
- November 20, 2017 - submissions due by 11:59 p.m. ET
- January 16, 2018 - global finalists announced
- January 23, 2018 - global winners announced
To learn more about how to participate, visit the Idea Challenge homepage, and download the project toolkit. Participating schools do not have to have a DECA chapter to participate in the Idea Challenge.