The World Bank Group and the Zicklin Center at Wharton are pleased to announce the 2020 Ideas for Action competition, which engages young people to develop innovative solutions in support of the implementation of the SDGs.
Ideas for Action provides students and young professionals from around the world with a unique opportunity to help shape the international development agenda and to take an active role in changing the world.
To get more exciting opportunities like this, at your fingertips, install the Youth Opportunities Mobile App here from your cellphone.
A joint program of the World Bank Group and the Zicklin Center for Business Ethics Research at the Wharton School, Ideas for Action is a knowledge platform connecting young leaders all around the world who are passionate about the future development of our world.
They host an annual competition during which youths from around the world design ideas for financing the UN’s new development agenda. The competition acts as a catalyst to spark global conversation among millennials and seeks to encourage them to contribute their own voice to the development conversation.
On September 25, 2015, the UN General Assembly adopted a new set of global development goals. All member countries are now using these objectives to frame their development agendas and political policies over the next 15 years.
Youth engagement throughout the design and implementation of the SDGs is critical for their success. The innovative and fresh ideas it takes to tackle the new challenges the world faces will most likely come from the youth.
The objectives of the competition are:
- Innovative Ideas
Developing innovative ideas that positively shape both the policy and business ecosystem, thus providing an enabling environment where novel ideas can flourish and a too-narrow focus on “business plans” can be avoided. - Policy-Making
Influencing leading development, public policy, and business leaders so that they can make more informed decisions that also reflect the inspiration and dedication of young people and their leadership and entrepreneurial spirit. - Implementation
They strive to move from innovative ideas to actionable solutions. They seek to develop scalable partnership models in the fields of entrepreneurship, finance, development economics, technology, health, education, and the environment. - Community
Providing young leaders from around the world with access to knowledge, networking opportunities, mentorship, opportunities to connect with like-minded youths, a dedicated incubator, and potential financing opportunities.
Benefits
The finalists and winners will be selected by a panel of academics and experienced development professionals from public and private sector institutions. Winners of the competition get the opportunity to:
- Present their ideas at an event during the Annual Meetings of the IMF and the World Bank Group,
- Receive support from a project incubator at the Wharton School, and
- Benefit from unique networking opportunities with experts from international development, academia, and the private sector.
Eligibilities
Students and young professionals between the ages of 18-35 years from around the world are invited to participate.
Eligible Regions: Open for allApplication Process
- Team Composition: This is a team competition. Teams must consist of 2 to 6 members and may be formed across different schools, institutions, companies, countries, nationalities, etc.
- Registration: Please register your teams through the apply now link prior to submitting your proposal. You will then receive access to resources and research materials that will help you develop your idea. In addition, you will receive all relevant updates and information on the competition and upcoming events.
- Submission: Proposals must be submitted through the official Google Form application portal. For residents of China or any other country where Google is not available, there is a Survey Monkey portal where you can submit your application. Proposals from countries where Google is available which are submitted to the Survey Monkey portal will be automatically disqualified.
To get more exciting opportunities like this, at your fingertips, install the Youth Opportunities Mobile App here from your cellphone.
Application Deadline: February 29, 2020
Application ClosedOfficial link
