HOUSTON – Registration for the 2019-2020 Conrad Challenge is now open.
The Conrad Challenge provides high-school students from around the world with the opportunity to create innovative solutions to challenges that affect global sustainability. This annual competition combines science, technology, engineering and mathematic (STEM) disciplines with entrepreneurship to engage students in designing the future, as well as the opportunity to prepare for success in the global workplace.
“Students participating in the Conrad Challenge learn to measure success in terms of creativity, collaboration and a commitment to creating a better future for all of us,” said Nancy Conrad, founder and chairman of the Conrad Foundation, which produces the competition. “The Conrad Challenge honors the legacy of my late husband, Pete Conrad, who was the third man to walk on the Moon and an entrepreneur devoted to the commercialization of space travel. Each year is amazing, but this year is extra special as it coincides with the global celebration of the Apollo program and the exciting developments in current space travel initiatives.”
The Conrad Challenge invites teams of 2-5 students, between the ages of 13-18, to innovate new products and services that address global challenges in any of six categories: Aerospace & Aviation; Cyber-Technology & Security; Energy & Environment; Health & Nutrition; Smoke-Free World; and Transforming Education with Technology. Along the way, coaches and judges from the best in business, industry, research and academia worldwide guide the teams’ development of their innovative ideas.
Interested teams should visit the registration form and 2019-2020 Conrad Challenge Overview for more information on this year’s competition. Registration will remain open until Friday, Nov. 1, 2019 at 11:59 PM ET. Expert judges will then select teams in each Challenge category who will advance to develop comprehensive business plans for their innovation in Round 2 of the competition.
In February 2020, five teams from each Challenge category will be chosen as finalists and travel to the annual Innovation Summit taking place in April at the Kennedy Space Center Visitor Complex, where they will present their innovations before an esteemed panel of judges. Winning teams are eligible to receive scholarships, independent product assessment studies, speaking engagements, patent support and business services to support the growth of their concepts into businesses that can make a real difference. Simultaneously, judges and corporate sponsors interact directly with fresh talent that many existing businesses are eager to foster.
The Conrad Challenge, now in its 14th year, is one of the most highly ranked STEM competitions globally. The Conrad Challenge is sponsored by Foundation for a Smoke-Free World, SMART Technologies, the Bezos Family Foundation, Delaware North, Kennedy Space Center Visitor Complex, Carter Ledyard & Milburn and Griffin Communications Group. To learn more about the 2019-2020 competition, visit www.conradchallenge.org.
About the Conrad Foundation
The Conrad Foundation is a nonprofit organization dedicated to promoting collaborative, student-centered, real world-relevant learning that fosters innovation and entrepreneurship. Through its programs, the Foundation unleashes students’ potential to create impactful solutions and a sustainable society for generations to come. For more information, visit www.conradchallenge.org.
