The University of Evansville is proud to host the eighth High School Changemaker Challenge, once again made possible by our generous partners at Toyota. Any high school sophomore, junior, or senior who can be present for the in-person event can compete to win a four-year, full tuition scholarship to the University of Evansville by submitting their idea to make the world a better place.

• Gun Buy Backs – Prestin Jarrell, Nolan Josey, Chris Kormelink (New Tech Institute)
• Food for You – Abigail Aders (Jasper High School)
• Project Parcel – Blake Sanders, Christian Slade, Toby Durosinmi-Etti (Signature School)
• Breathe for Barry – Summer Smith (National Honor Society/Interact Club)
• STEM Playground – Rebekah Turner, Trinity Kessinger (Scouts BSA)
• BeeCorp's Bittersweet Harvest – Eli Dodge, Crisnell Cabigting, Brooke Hay (Madison Consolidated High School's BeeCorp Club)
• Bee Corps Operation Ground Cover – Jack Heckler, Izabela Jett, Owen Schmidt (Madison Consolidated High School)
• Growing People – Briggs Miller, Cameron Miller (Mater Dei High School)
• Purple Pages – Zozo Zhou, Amanda Lile-Helm (Evansville Christian High School)
• Musicmakers – Aparna Kudiyirikkal Anil, Sreya Yelamanchili (Signature School)
• Bee Corps Garden Box Initiative – Jack Heckler, Taylor Owen, Izabela Jett (Madison Consolidated High School)
• Let's Be Real: Sexual and Reproductive Health Vending – Savannah Hoar, Sophia Hoar, Cael McCullum (Signature School)
• The Tyr Project – Keira Starnes, Jaylena Scott, Serenity Bell
• An Emotional Performance – Aidan Paul (Mount Vernon High School)

Alternates:

• Edugate.com – Mitchell Thomas, Jayden Baiden-Amissah (Signature School)
• WISTEM Club – Gracie Stoller (Lebanon High School)
• Bee Corps Education Initiative – Nathan Wu, Jackson Schwartz, Kailee Lock (Madison Consolidated High School)

Prizes

The winning students who choose UE as their college destination will receive the following scholarships*:

*Students eligible for more than one UE scholarship will receive the one of highest value.
†Students winning first place will not pay any tuition out of pocket for four years. Winners are required to live on campus as part of a cohort, remain consistently enrolled full-time each semester, maintain satisfactory academic progress toward their degree, and display progress toward fulfilling their Changemaker Challenge project goals. UE admission requirements apply.

Competition

• ROUND 1: 
Submit your idea pitch by December 8, 2022.
• ROUND 2: 
Top 20 teams will deliver pitches in person on campus at UE on January 24, 2023.
  • Top 20 team members should be available for rehearsal at UE on January 23, 2023.
  • Presentations can be up to 7 minutes long (generally 4-5 minutes) followed by 2 minutes of Q&A.

Support

All competitors may receive FREE training from UE’s Center for Innovation & Change as well as connection to faculty experts.

Eligibility

• Any high school sophomore, junior, or senior
• Individual or team entries allowed (teams can be up to 3 people)
• No limits on number of entries from a school
• Home school and club entries also allowed (Scouts, Boys and Girls Club, 4-H, etc.)
• Able to attend the January 24 final round in Evansville, Indiana. If you can get to UE on that date (from anywhere), you can compete!

SPECIAL BONUS CATEGORIES: All ideas are welcome! Special bonus points may be available if your idea fits one of these four categories:

1. Increases girls' access and exposure to science fields (Example: a summer camp on UE's campus for girls interested in physics).
2. Works to address or mitigate climate change in our region (Example: decreasing air pollution, more rooftop gardens, etc.).
3. Increases access to physical activity or health options (Example: more dance classes in schools, more recesses, more parks or green spaces, fitness trails, more smoothie bars, creative outdoor play options, etc.).
4. Provides creative ideas that improve quality of life in Evansville's Promise Zone.