Sustainable Solutions Challenge

In the spring of 2023, the Environmental Center is hosting the 4th annual President's Sustainable Solutions Challenge, inviting students to present their ideas for sustainable innovations and solutions for the University of Colorado Boulder. To participate, students will create short pitch presentations that address environmental quality, natural resource use, social justice, and economic longevity in the CU Boulder system. Through sponsorship from the CU President's Office, winning proposals will be awarded $1500, while a runner up and an audience favorite will each be awarded $500. All proposals will be considered for implementation post-competition. Interested students can sign up to participate or learn more.

How to Compete

Fill out the interest form.
Attend information sessions and workshops hosted by the Environmental Center to hone your ideas, meet potential team members, and network with sustainability professionals on campus.
With your group or as an individual participant, create an executive summary, a slide deck, and a ten minute presentation that addresses the details of your sustainable innovation.
After an executive summary and a slide deck are submitted, a review committee of experts will let you know if your proposal has been selected to present at pitch night, where winners will be chosen and announced.

Proposals can cover any sustainability topic area and will be evaluated on the following criteria:

Anticipated impact
Innovation in addressing a sustainability issue
The feasibility of the idea

Important Dates

Sustainability Impact Accelerator Workshop

Want to learn more about how to make an impact as a sustainability leader? Want to meet students who share a passion for sustainability and making an environmental difference? Join the Sustainability Impact Accelerator Workshop on February 11th, 2023 from 12-5pm. This afternoon workshop will help you learn about CU Boulder’s climate goals and needs, and how you can help make a difference at the University. Participants will learn creative problem-solving techniques and how to strategize, organize, and plan climate ideas and solutions, which work in line with the Chancellor's Call to Climate Action plan with a goal of carbon neutrality by 2050. This workshop will be facilitated by Becky Komarek, Associate Director of Idea Forge at CU. Ideas generated will be eligible for cash prizes in upcoming events such as the President’s Sustainable Solutions Challenge and the Climate Action Expo. Participation in this workshop counts towards earning the Sustainability Innovation micro credential.

Join us for a project development workshop. This workshop covers idea testing, proposal development, pitch formulation, stakeholder engagement, and systems thinking. Students will gain feedback and tools to build out and identify support for project proposals.

Proposal submission deadline

All Boulder participants should submit their proposals, which will consist of a pitch deck and executive summary, to ideas@colorado.edu by midnight on April 5, 2023.

Finalists Notified

Pitch Competition

The top 5 teams will present their pitches at a campus competition, which will be judged live and open to audience members in person and through Zoom.

The competition will be held on Wednesday, April 12 from 5:00 pm to 7:00 pm in CASE E422

Campus Sustainability Summit: Climate Action Expo

At this annual Earth Day event, winning proposals will be showcased and all participating students can display their work in the expo.