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  • Keynote presentation from SkipsoLabs executive team
  • The teams will work jointly with mentors from SkipsoLabs to fine tune the Proposed Solutions and the “pitch”
  • The teams will have one-to-one meeting (i.e. “pitch”) with an evaluation committee composed by Generali Group and Microsoft executives
  • The evaluation committee will score the teams based on Completion, Originality, Relevance, strengths of the model, technical feasibility
  • The most promising ideas will be awarded

Lorem Ipsum is simply dummy text of the printing and typesetting industry. Lorem Ipsum has been the industry's standard dummy text ever since the 1500s, when an unknown printer took a galley of type and scrambled it to make a type specimen book. It has survived not only five centuries, but also the leap into electronic typesetting, remaining essentially unchanged. It was popularised in the 1960s with the release of Letraset sheets containing Lorem Ipsum passages, and more recently with desktop publishing software like Aldus PageMaker including versions of Lorem Ipsum.

Lorem Ipsum is simply dummy text of the printing and typesetting industry. Lorem Ipsum has been the industry's standard dummy text ever since the 1500s, when an unknown printer took a galley of type and scrambled it to make a type specimen book. It has survived not only five centuries, but also the leap into electronic typesetting, remaining essentially unchanged. It was popularised in the 1960s with the release of Letraset sheets containing Lorem Ipsum passages, and more recently with desktop publishing software like Aldus PageMaker including versions of Lorem Ipsum:

  • Keynote presentation from SkipsoLabs executive team
  • The teams will work jointly with mentors from SkipsoLabs to fine tune the Proposed Solutions and the “pitch”
  • The teams will have one-to-one meeting (i.e. “pitch”) with an evaluation committee composed by Generali Group and Microsoft executives
  • The evaluation committee will score the teams based on Completion, Originality, Relevance, strengths of the model, technical feasibility
  • The most promising ideas will be awarded

Lorem Ipsum is simply dummy text of the printing and typesetting industry. Lorem Ipsum has been the industry's standard dummy text ever since the 1500s, when an unknown printer took a galley of type and scrambled it to make a type specimen book. It has survived not only five centuries, but also the leap into electronic typesetting, remaining essentially unchanged. It was popularised in the 1960s with the release of Letraset sheets containing Lorem Ipsum passages, and more recently with desktop publishing software like Aldus PageMaker including versions of Lorem Ipsum.

Lorem Ipsum is simply dummy text of the printing and typesetting industry. Lorem Ipsum has been the industry's standard dummy text ever since the 1500s, when an unknown printer took a galley of type and scrambled it to make a type specimen book. It has survived not only five centuries, but also the leap into electronic typesetting, remaining essentially unchanged. It was popularised in the 1960s with the release of Letraset sheets containing Lorem Ipsum passages, and more recently with desktop publishing software like Aldus PageMaker including versions of Lorem Ipsum:

  • Keynote presentation from SkipsoLabs executive team
  • The teams will work jointly with mentors from SkipsoLabs to fine tune the Proposed Solutions and the “pitch”
  • The teams will have one-to-one meeting (i.e. “pitch”) with an evaluation committee composed by Generali Group and Microsoft executives
  • The evaluation committee will score the teams based on Completion, Originality, Relevance, strengths of the model, technical feasibility
  • The most promising ideas will be awarded

The winning team will be rewarded with:

  • 3 months incubation at TAG co-working spaces and innovative ecosystem in Milan
  • SkipsoLabs in achieving their business objectives. In particular, at reciprocal convenience, the winning projects may be helped in idea execution and commercialization
  • Digital Magics support in reaching out Investors
  • Media coverage of their company and solution leveraging communication channels activated by Digital Magics
  • The youngest participants could be elected for an internship.

Participation is open to

  • Individuals at least 18 years of age and above and entrepreneurs, with innovative ideas to the identified “Open Calls”
  • Start ups (operating since the last 5 years)

Participants can submit proposals by completing the submission form on the “Open Call” section of the website.

The deadline for submitting proposals and any relevant materials is 25/10 /2016 .

Any submission, even the one from team of individuals, must have a contact person.

The proper documentation must be uploaded in pdf printable format (as presentation), no longer than 5 pages, font 12, included technical details and tables.

The documentation must highlight the following main items:

  • Team / start up description (resurces and skills)
  • Idea/ product / business model description to solve the “open call"
  • Overview of the underlying technology
  • High level view of the Economics (investment, revenue estimation,..)

Participation is totally free of charge. Travel and accommodation expenses are not included, and must be covered by participants.

Participants cannot change Proposed Solutions once submitted. Participants may save drafts of Proposed solutions until ready to submit it and up until midnight of the submission deadline date. Once proposals are submitted, participants will not be allowed to change or edit them.

Only one Proposed solution per “Open call” is allowed.

Any documentation provided must be in English.

The pitch will be held in English.

Frequently Asked Questions 

Click on the headings to collapse and expand each question and answer. 

Challenge Based Learning

Challenge Based Learning is a framework for learning while solving real-world Challenges. The framework is collaborative and hands-on, asking all participants (students, teachers, families, and community members) to identify big ideas, ask good questions, discover and solve challenges, gain in-depth subject area knowledge, develop 21st-century skills, and share their perspectives with the world. Technology is an integral part of Challenge Based Learning because it provides students with a way to explore information and generate new ideas, and it also provides them with tools to take action, communicate, and share their work.

Challenge Based Learning provides an overarching framework that connects a variety of ideas and learning approaches. Provided here are just a few connections between Challenge Based Learning and other learning, collaboration and project management approaches, along with some ways in which Challenge Based Learning aligns with various subject-area standards and practices.

The Challenge Based Learning Framework asks all participants to identify big ideas, ask good questions, identify and solve challenges, gain in-depth subject area knowledge, develop 21st-century skills, and share their ideas with the world. Check out How to Participate and the Facilitator Guide to learn more about how you can support your students using the Challenge Based Learning framework.

We encourage participants to be creative in how they leverage digital tools and technologies to address their challenge. Teams are welcome to combine multiple digital tools where useful to have the greatest possible impact. For example, products might start with photography or video and then be converted into a story map using ArcGIS StoryMap and Google Maps software. Alternatively, a team might design an app along with a website outlining the app’s key functionality. You are welcome to browse the action pathways in the Resource Library for additional tools that your students can use to address their challenges.

Ciena Solutions Challenge

The Ciena Solutions Challenge helps educators and students use digital technologies to explore real-world challenges and create solutions that benefit their communities. The Resource Library includes examples of action pathways and ideas to help students use digital tools in meaningful ways. Participants are encouraged to choose the digital tools and formats that best fit their project and the resources available to them.

When projects are reviewed for the Ciena Solutions Challenge Online Gallery and Sustainability Awards, reviewers consider the creative use of technology. They are not looking for the newest or most expensive tools. Instead, they look for projects that use technology in original and purposeful ways as part of the solution itself—not only to create the project presentation or reflection video.

The Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) , also referred to as the Global Goals, are targets that all countries of the world have agreed to work toward achieving by 2030. From reducing inequalities, to promoting good health and well-being, to ensuring access to affordable and clean energy, the 17 Goals are a universal call to action to create a better world. As part of the Ciena Solutions Challenge submission form, participants are asked to indicate between 1-3 Sustainable Development Goals that relate to the team’s big idea. The 17 goals are listed below:

• Goal 1: No Poverty – End poverty in all its forms everywhere.
• Goal 2: Zero Hunger – End hunger, achieve food security and improved nutrition and promote sustainable agriculture.
• Goal 3: Good Health and Well-Being – Ensure healthy lives and promote well-being for all at all ages.
• Goal 4: Quality Education – Ensure inclusive and equitable quality education and promote lifelong learning opportunities for all.
• Goal 5: Gender Equality – Achieve gender equality and empower all women and girls.
• Goal 6: Clean Water and Sanitation – Ensure availability and sustainable management of water and sanitation for all.
• Goal 7: Affordable and Clean Energy – Ensure access to affordable, reliable, sustainable and modern energy for all.
• Goal 8: Decent Work and Economic Growth – Promote sustained, inclusive and sustainable economic growth, full and productive employment and decent work for all.
• Goal 9: Industry, Innovation, and Infrastructure – Build resilient infrastructure, promote inclusive and sustainable industrialization and foster innovation.
• Goal 10: Reduced Inequalities – Reduce inequality within and among countries.
• Goal 11: Sustainable Cities and Communities – Make cities and human settlements inclusive, safe, resilient and sustainable.
• Goal 12: Responsible Consumption and Production – Ensure sustainable consumption and production patterns.
• Goal 13: Climate Action – Take urgent action to combat climate change and its impacts.
• Goal 14: Life Below Water – Conserve and sustainably use the oceans, seas and marine resources for sustainable development.
• Goal 15: Life on Land – Protect, restore and promote sustainable use of terrestrial ecosystems, sustainably manage forests, combat desertification, and halt and reverse land degradation and halt biodiversity loss.
• Goal 16: Peace, Justice, and Strong Institutions – Promote peaceful and inclusive societies for sustainable development, provide access to justice for all and build effective, accountable and inclusive institutions at all levels.
• Goal 17: Partnerships for the Goals – Strengthen the means of implementation and revitalize the global partnership for sustainable development.

    Materials in the Resource Library (available in English, French, and Spanish) are designed to be used by students and educators in middle/junior high and high school secondary school environments. The library contains activities and supporting resources for teachers and students at each phase of the Challenge Based Learning framework. We encourage you to adapt and customize the materials based on your team's interests and needs. Begin exploring the library by using the toolbar of filters to identify resources by Challenge phase, resource type, intended audience, etc.

    Have a story to share? Email us at cienachallenge@digitalpromise.org. You can also share your stories on LinkedIn using the hashtag #CienaChallenge! For updates, you can follow Digital Promise on LinkedIn ( @digital promise), Facebook ( @DigitalPromise), and Instagram ( @digitalpromise). You can use content on our Trello board to share your participation in the Challenge. Keep us updated on how your team is doing by tagging @DigitalPromise or by emailing us at cienachallenge@digitalpromise.org!

    In addition to our webinars , educators are invited to join the Maker Learning Collective LinkedIn Group . These spaces are designed to provide educators with a space to connect with one another, ask questions, share resources, and engage in project discussions.

    Over 1200 educators from more than 100 countries globally have participated by registering on CienaChallenge.org, attending a professional learning session, or submitting a project. Over 500 projects have been submitted to the Ciena Solutions Challenge Gallery. 199 Sustainability Awards have been awarded to teams across 36 countries.

    Yes! We will have editable certificate templates available for educators who submit student projects to download and give to students who participated in the Challenge.

    Yes, we offer certificates to educators for attendance at Ciena Solutions Challenge professional learning webinars. Webinar opportunities can be found on the Webinars page and in the Ciena Solutions Challenge newsletter. Educators who register on cienachallenge.org can subscribe to the newsletter for news and opportunities throughout the year.

    We recommend taking a look at the 2022, 2023 , 2024 , 2025, and 2026 Ciena Solutions Challenge Awards Announcements and the Ciena Solutions Challenge Project Gallery, where you can filter projects by project year, locations, and Sustainable Development Goal.

    Eligibility

    Anyone is welcome to use the free resources available on the Ciena Solutions Challenge website. The Resource Library is designed for educators and students in middle/junior high and high school/secondary school.

    Only educators     may submit student projects to the Ciena Solutions Challenge Online Gallery and apply for Ciena Solutions Challenge Sustainability Awards.
    Students are not eligible to submit projects or apply for awards directly. Students who are interested in participating should share the Ciena Solutions Challenge with an educator, who can facilitate their participation and submit projects on behalf of their students.

    Eligible educators must work with students in the equivalent of U.S. grades 6–12 (approximately ages 11–19) and be affiliated with a public school, private school, registered homeschool, or a legally recognized educational organization (such as a museum, after-school program, or youth organization).

    Please review the Terms and Conditions for complete eligibility requirements.

    Educators are welcome and encouraged to submit as many student projects as they would like to be considered for showcasing in the online gallery. Once educators have submitted at least one student project to the gallery, they can apply for a $3000 USD Ciena Solutions Challenge Sustainability Award. Each educator can submit one Sustainability Award application per year, and the application must reference one project that has been submitted to the Online Gallery. As part of the award application, educators will be asked to explain how a $3,000 Sustainability Award would enable the project team(s) to improve upon, sustain, and/or scale their Ciena Solutions Challenge activities and benefit additional current or future students in the organization or school community as it relates to Ciena Solutions Challenge activities.

    There is no limit on the amount of students that can participate in the program.

    Yes! Educators from a school or organization are welcome to form a partnership when enrolling in the Ciena Solutions Challenge. If you are interested in participating in the Challenge with other teachers as a small group or partnership, consider how you will support students to collaborate. Note that educators from the same educational organization may submit entries to the Ciena Solutions Challenge Awards Program, but only one winning entry from a single educational organization will be selected for a Ciena Solutions Challenge Sustainability Award.

    Yes, past awardees are eligible to apply again if they are submitting new project activities.

    Submission Requirements

    Review the submission requirements to see what information and materials should be included in an award application.

    Yes, you may submit a prototype. Your prototype should demonstrate that technology is strategically integrated as part of students' work.

    Educators must be registered to apply for the Awards Program. To register, click “Sign Up” at the top right of this page. Once the Challenge opens for submissions (usually in September), registered educators can go to “My Submissions to Step 1: submit student projects to the gallery and Step 2: Apply for a $3,000 Sustainability Award.” Review the submission requirements for more information about what is required.

    All submissions will be reviewed based on the judging criteria outlined on the submission requirements . This includes a reflection video that synthesizes the school or organization’s involvement in the Ciena Solutions Challenge (15%), a project portfolio that conveys a clear social purpose in response to a real-world problem or concern and related investigations (20%), an explanation of how technology is strategically used in student actions (20%), an explaination of how the team will use community resources to support their solution (15%), and an explanation how the award funding will be used to sustain and/or scale the project initiative in conjunction with existing community resources (30%).

    Ciena Solutions Challenge award funding is intended to support participating schools and youth organizations to sustain and/or scale their projects and challenge activities in conjunction with existing community resources. Funds are granted to an educator's affiliated school or organization, or directly to an educator with authorization from the affiliated school or organization, for the purpose of sustaining or scaling the activities outlined in the associated Ciena Solutions Challenge Award application. For example, funds might be used to purchase materials, supplies, or equipment for printing or production costs, or for activities or experiences (this might include guest speakers, field trips, workshops, exhibitions) that enhance the skills and capacity of students and their community to sustain or scale their projects and challenge activities.

    Your total requested budget should not exceed $3,000 USD, even if your application includes multiple student projects. You can either:

    • Distribute the funds across all projects, or
    • Allocate the funds to specific activities within one or more projects.
    Choose the approach that best supports your students' activities.

    For the purposes of judging, applications for a Sustainability Award should be in English. Related outputs that showcase creative use of technology (i.e. things like podcasts, digital games, apps, data visualizations, interactive maps, or something else) can be in any language. In these cases, teams are encouraged to provide a short corresponding English description of such outputs to assist with review.

    Yes! If you are sharing links in your submission, make sure that judges have access to view them. We recommend you use the Share setting “Anyone with the link can VIEW”. You can test that your links are shareable by trying to open them in an ‘incognito or private window’. (Use this Slide Template as a guide.)

    Related outputs should also be included in the slide presentation (examples include podcasts, digital games, apps, data visualizations, interactive maps, or something else leveraging digital tools and technologies to address the challenge) If the solution is not in digital form, include media such as photos, videos, or design files that demonstrate the solution or actions taken. If you are sharing links in your submission, make sure that judges have access to view them. We recommend you use the Share setting “Anyone with the link can VIEW”. You can test that your links are shareable by trying to open them in an ‘incognito or private window’. (Use this Slide Template as a guide).

    Yes, you (and your Educational Organization, if applicable) keep ownership of your project and all related intellectual property. By submitting, you simply grant the Sponsor permission to share, promote, and highlight your project—including text, images, videos, or designs—across media such as websites, reports, and social channels. For more details, see the Terms and Conditions.

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    Apply For Sustainability Award