The IDEAS Competition provides an opportunity for members of the MIT community to develop their creative ideas for projects that make a positive impact in the world. Participants work in teams to develop designs, plans, strategies, materials and mechanisms that benefit communities, locally, nationally or internationally. Using $20,000 in cash prizes, as well as additional development grants, the teams can take an effective step toward resolving pressing individual and community challenges. The IDEAS Competition highlights MIT’s commitment to public service and demonstrates its support for student enterprise. It provides a chance for students to be creative, recognizes their ability to do important work for the public good, and provides an opportunity to have others recognize it as well.

The idea for a public service competition was developed by Amy Smith of the MIT Edgerton Center and Sally Susnowitz of Public Service Center in 2001. Funding for the first year of the competition was secured from a d’Arbeloff grant provided by the MIT Corporation. Lemelson-MIT had also made a generous donation to promote and support International Engineering ventures. Last year, the Boeing Company and the Silicon Spice Founders also made some generous contributions to the competition.

The MIT IDEAS Competition challenges teams to develop projects that make a positive change in the world. The IDEAS Implementers help teams to turn their ideas into great community service projects. The Implementers are also able to enter the competition. Join us and use your talents to help makes this year’s competition even better than before. You could:

• plan IDEAS events
• run our publicity campaigns
• create publicity materials
• direct our media, mentor, or community relations
• evaluate our programs
• organize our materials and resources
• or simply help out where needed

We'd love to see you at the first implementers meeting of the term:
Thursday September 16th, 7:30 pm in Room 4-146.

We will be holding elections for Officer's positions on October 14th, so come along to 4-146 any Thursday evening before then to get involved.