Strengthened disaster preparedness, improved information about supportive housing, reduced landfill waste, more accessible city websites, and increased support for small and underrepresented businesses are among the challenges that will be addressed in a new initiative launched by the University of California, Berkeley and the city of Berkeley.
The Berkeley Civic Innovation Challenge opened applications on October 20. The initiative invites UC Berkeley students to develop solutions to five key civic issues identified through collaboration with city staff and student input. Student teams will participate in a seven-day competition early next year, concluding with a pitch event at Berkeley SkyDeck where they will present their prototypes and service models to local leaders.
The program is organized by the UC Berkeley Big Ideas Contest, an accelerator that has supported over 550 social ventures in 50 countries during its two decades of operation. Multiple winning teams from this new challenge will receive up to $4,000 each and direct entry into the final round of the Big Ideas Contest.
Phillip Denny, director of the Big Ideas Contest, emphasized the importance of this collaboration: “It’s forging a deeper partnership between the city of Berkeley and the UC Berkeley campus as students tackle real-world challenges identified by civic leaders right here in our own backyard,” Denny said.
City staff submitted more than 20 potential challenges for consideration. A group of 100 students selected those they considered most urgent and interesting.
The initiative is also supported by organizations such as the UC Office of the President, Berkeley Startup Cluster, and Blum Center for Developing Economies. Previous projects from Big Ideas have included efforts to enhance disaster preparedness, reduce food waste, address hunger, and improve college transfer success rates.
Berkeley Mayor Adena Ishii—herself a former participant in Big Ideas as an undergraduate—expressed enthusiasm about student involvement: “As Berkeley residents, this is a chance for them to feel more connected to the community they live in and empowered to make a difference,” Ishii said. “The Challenge also allows students to apply what they’re learning in the classroom to develop tangible, real-world solutions to city challenges that Berkeley may not always have the capacity to address.”
Applications are due by December 1.
Chancellor Rich Lyons highlighted his hopes for continued collaboration between campus and city: “This is a wonderful example of how our support for, and leadership in, innovation and entrepreneurship programs can advance the greater good,” Lyons said. “I’m also thrilled to see how our programs are constantly adapting to the evolving interests and aspirations of our students.”
More information can be found on the Berkeley Civic Innovation Challenge website or Big Ideas Contest website.
