Ciena Solutions Challenge

Resources for Educators

Looking for activities to support your Challenge journey? Our Resource Library, (also available in French and Spanish), offers free and adaptable resources for educators and students. We also offer professional learning through monthly webinars.

Resources to Help You Run the Challenge

Use the resources below to learn more about Challenge Based Learning and plan how you will run a challenge with students.

Ciena Solutions Challenge Facilitator's Guide

Use the Facilitator's Guide to learn more about Challenge Based Learning and how to run the framework with students.

Challenge Builder

Once you are ready to start your challenge, use the Challenge Builder as a template to plan the activities you will compete during your challenge journey. (A printable version of the Challenge Builder is here.) Along the way, you can use worksheets from the Student Challenge Organizer to help students reflect on and synthesize their learning as they complete each phase of the Challenge."

Resource Library

Visit the Resource Library to find resources for educators and activiies for students in English, French, and Spanish.

Activities for Students

The Challenge Based Learning Framework contains three interconnected phases: Engage, Investigate, and Act. Throughout the process, learners document, reflect, and share their learning. Below are a sample of activities students can complete in each phase.

Engage Activities

The Engage Activities reference the stages of the design thinking process. Use these activities to have opening discussions, develop awareness of the challenge topics, empathize with the people affected, connect with the community, and define the challenge to work on. Examples include the Noticing Journal , Empathy Interview , Build a Partnership , and Create a Problem Tree . See all Engage Activities in the Resource Library .

Investigation Methods

Use the Investigation Methods to research the challenge topics and consider actionable and sustainable solutions. Examples of these activities include Analyze a Dataset, Conduct Field Research , and Watch a Talk or Presentation . See all Investigation methods in the Resource Library.

Action Pathways

Action Pathways help students with technical skills to create a solution. Examples of activities include Create a Podcast, Design a Website, and Create a Game. See all Action Pathways in the Resource Library.

Visit the Resource Library