Project Paradigm

Ages:Elementary, Middle School, High School

Category:Entrepreneurship

Scope:International

Contact




We invite students aged 4 to 18 around the world to use kindness, creativity, and collaboration to help solve real-life problems. Participants will choose from six different challenge categories in which to submit their entry.

We welcome all types of ideas, including posters, videos, inventions, public messages, community events, websites, mobile apps, or anything else that will help address one or more of the Paradigm Challenge Projects. Use the Project Paradigm Participant Dashboard to track your goals and progress throughout the cycle: https://www.projectparadigm.org/user

Project Paradigm will select no less than the top 100 entries as Paradigm Challenge Finalists (“Finalists”) based on the following criteria (the “Criteria”):  
  • Efficacy: how effective is the idea?
  • Feasibility: how possible is the idea?
  • Originality: how innovative is the idea?
  • Presentation: how clear is the idea?
  • Collaboration: how well did the team members work together with each other and with other persons? For single member teams, the collaboration criteria will be based solely on collaboration with non-team members.
Project Paradigm Award

Team Award.

Cash Prizes For First, Second, And Third Place Winners In Each Age Division: Based on the initial and further reviews described above, Project Paradigm will select a First Place, Second Place, and Third Place winner in each of the following three age divisions:

  • Division 1: Ages 4 to 8
  • Division 2: Ages 9 to 13
  • Division 3: Ages 14 to 18
The age of the oldest team member on the date the entry is submitted determines a team’s division. In other words, to be eligible for an age division, at least one member of the team must be within the specified age range on the date the entry is submitted and any and all other team members must be between age 4 and the top of the entered age division on that date. If any team member is older than 18 years old on the date the entry is submitted or is otherwise ineligible, the entire team will be disqualified. Winning teams with four or more qualifying members will share the following cash prizes:
  • First Place: $10,000
  • Second Place: $2,000
  • Third Place: $1,000
If a First Place, Second Place, or Third Place team has less than four qualifying members, each qualifying member will receive 25% of the team prize amount listed above. Grand Prize Winner: Project Paradigm will select one of the First Place teams as the Grand Prize winner. A team of four or more qualifying members that wins the Grand Prize will share $100,000 instead of the $10,000 First Place Prize. If the Grand Prize team has less than four qualifying members, each qualifying member will receive $25,000. Cash Prizes For Remaining Finalists: The Finalists who do not win a First Place prize, Second Place prize, Third Place prize, or the Grand Prize will share a cash prize of up to $200 per team. If a Finalist team has less than four qualifying members, each qualifying member will receive $50.

Website: https://www.projectparadigm.org/

Managing Organization: Project Paradigm

Contact:

Eligibility:
The Challenge is open only to individuals who: (a) will be aged 4 to 18 years old on the date that a timely entry is submitted; (b) have their parents’/legal guardians’ permission to participate in The Challenge; and (c) are NOT residents of Cuba, Iran, North Korea, Sudan, Syria, the Crimea Region, or any other United States sanctioned country. For a full list of rules, visit: https://www.projectparadigm.org/rules

Registration Opens: May 1, 2022

Overview

We invite students aged 4 to 18 around the world to use kindness, creativity, and collaboration to help solve real-life problems. Participants will choose from six different challenge categories in which to submit their entry.

Process

We welcome all types of ideas, including posters, videos, inventions, public messages, community events, websites, mobile apps, or anything else that will help address one or more of the Paradigm Challenge Projects. Use the Project Paradigm Participant Dashboard to track your goals and progress throughout the cycle: https://www.projectparadigm.org/user

Criteria

Project Paradigm will select no less than the top 100 entries as Paradigm Challenge Finalists (“Finalists”) based on the following criteria (the “Criteria”):  
  • Efficacy: how effective is the idea?
  • Feasibility: how possible is the idea?
  • Originality: how innovative is the idea?
  • Presentation: how clear is the idea?
  • Collaboration: how well did the team members work together with each other and with other persons? For single member teams, the collaboration criteria will be based solely on collaboration with non-team members.

Awards

Project Paradigm Award

Team Award.

Cash Prizes For First, Second, And Third Place Winners In Each Age Division: Based on the initial and further reviews described above, Project Paradigm will select a First Place, Second Place, and Third Place winner in each of the following three age divisions:

  • Division 1: Ages 4 to 8
  • Division 2: Ages 9 to 13
  • Division 3: Ages 14 to 18
The age of the oldest team member on the date the entry is submitted determines a team’s division. In other words, to be eligible for an age division, at least one member of the team must be within the specified age range on the date the entry is submitted and any and all other team members must be between age 4 and the top of the entered age division on that date. If any team member is older than 18 years old on the date the entry is submitted or is otherwise ineligible, the entire team will be disqualified. Winning teams with four or more qualifying members will share the following cash prizes:
  • First Place: $10,000
  • Second Place: $2,000
  • Third Place: $1,000
If a First Place, Second Place, or Third Place team has less than four qualifying members, each qualifying member will receive 25% of the team prize amount listed above. Grand Prize Winner: Project Paradigm will select one of the First Place teams as the Grand Prize winner. A team of four or more qualifying members that wins the Grand Prize will share $100,000 instead of the $10,000 First Place Prize. If the Grand Prize team has less than four qualifying members, each qualifying member will receive $25,000. Cash Prizes For Remaining Finalists: The Finalists who do not win a First Place prize, Second Place prize, Third Place prize, or the Grand Prize will share a cash prize of up to $200 per team. If a Finalist team has less than four qualifying members, each qualifying member will receive $50.

Participate

Website: https://www.projectparadigm.org/

Managing Organization: Project Paradigm

Contact:

Eligibility:
The Challenge is open only to individuals who: (a) will be aged 4 to 18 years old on the date that a timely entry is submitted; (b) have their parents’/legal guardians’ permission to participate in The Challenge; and (c) are NOT residents of Cuba, Iran, North Korea, Sudan, Syria, the Crimea Region, or any other United States sanctioned country. For a full list of rules, visit: https://www.projectparadigm.org/rules

Deadlines

Registration Opens: May 1, 2022