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Map the System competition encourages CU Boulder students to deeply understand social challenges before pitching solutions

Competitions in social innovation aimed at college students have become more and more common as universities seek ideas or products intended to address social challenges across the world.

But to Don Grant, professor of sociology and director of the Social Innovation Program at the University of Colorado Boulder, too often such contests skip a critically important step in addressing any social need: understanding.

鈥淢ost competitions place a strong emphasis on giving a catchy elevator pitch,鈥� Grant says. 鈥淭hey also stress coming up with flashy solutions as opposed to really understanding the problems students are trying to address. Consequently, the solutions offered by the winners of these competitions often do not work or fail to have the larger impact they promise.鈥�

That鈥檚 why Grant is launching CU Boulder鈥檚 first Map the System competition this fall. Part of the Global Challenge program, an initiative of the听听at the University of Oxford, next spring's听competition will judge how well students听耻苍诲别谤蝉迟补苍诲听a social or environmental problem and develop solutions based on that understanding.

The winning individual or team will then go to a global Map the System competition at Oxford in the United Kingdom.听Past winners have addressed a broad spectrum of topics, ranging from wildfires, deforestation and food waste to the opioid epidemic, refugee integration, and students鈥� mental health.

鈥淭ackling global challenges starts with understanding a problem and its wider context, rather than jumping straight into a business plan or an idea for a quick fix,鈥� according to Oxford鈥檚 Global Challenge听website.听

鈥淪ocial change is complicated. Mapping is a way of understanding its complexities.听Mapping out the system allows us to think about context and the many interacting factors that contribute to the development of the issues facing us鈥攂e they economic forces, political movements, or global trends. It gives us the tools to understand the whole picture and takes us out of our silos.鈥�

Grant hopes the competition will encourage students to 鈥渇all in love with a problem before they solve it,鈥� hone their research skills and interview people most affected by their chosen social challenge.听

Map the System is partly a response to persistent requests from CU Boulder students who are eager to act in the world.

鈥淭hey really want to make a difference,鈥� Grant says. 鈥淯niversities have done a good job of raising awareness about problems. The competition will give students an opportunity to build on that awareness and develop the knowledge base they need to solve problems.鈥�

Map the System participants will have access to a handful of tools not available elsewhere. Grant hopes to seat a panel of experts recruited from the annual Conference on World Affairs to judge the entries and even serve as ongoing mentors.听

And if students want to get a handle on how to succeed, they can go right to the source: Daniela Papi-Thornton, founder of Global Challenge at Oxford, is now a consultant living in Boulder and has agreed to conduct a series of workshops this fall on the competition that is open to all CU Boulder students.

鈥淭hat鈥檚 part of the reason I got interested,鈥� Grant says. 鈥淚 thought, 鈥榃ow, we have this great resource, the actual creator, living in our city.鈥欌��

At a time when many politicians and pundits dismiss the findings of the social sciences and other fields of study, Map the System and the Global Challenge can shine a spotlight on the critical importance of these academic disciplines.听

鈥淧roblem solving is the most in-demand skill in the American workplace,鈥� Grant says. Map the System is an exciting opportunity for students to apply what they have learned in the classroom to real-world challenges.

More information on CU Boulder鈥檚 Map the System competition will soon be posted on the Social Innovation program website,听Colorado.edu/programs/socialinnovation.

Information about Oxford鈥檚 global competition can be found at听.听听

For questions questions about the competitions email Professor Don Grant at听dogr2184@colorado.edu.

(This article has been updated to remove references to worshops now complete.)