2024 High School Changemaker Challenge

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.

In-Person Competition
January 26-27, 2024
Eykamp Hall, Ridgway University Center
University of Evansville

Congratulations to everyone listed below! Keep an eye on your email for next steps for the in-person competition. If your name isn’t on this list, we will be in touch with you as well with resources.

Thanks to everyone for your changemaking spirit and willingness to make the world a better place!

2024 High School Changemaker Challenge Top 20

  • Birthday in a Box, Bosse High School, Evansville, Ind.
    • Sydney Gist
  • Books Behind Bars, Monrovia High School, Monrovia, Ind.
    • Grace Vaughn
  • Boomerang Learning, Signature School, Evansville, Ind.
    • Abdul-Aleem Mohammed
    • Chris Lau
    • Parth Patel
  • EcoHarvest, Signature School, Evansville, Ind.
    • Grayson Koch
    • Nicole Diab
  • EcoRewards, Zionsville Entrepreneurship Club, Zionsville, Ind.
    • Rajvir Johal
    • Parteek Aulakh
    • Hagan Swartz
  • Escape the Silence, Hammond and Munster High Schools, Munster, Ind.
    • Charity Ibikunle
    • Lauren Dumaresq
  • GiveMatch, Forest Lake, Minn.
    • Maija Knudson
    • Eva Peters
  • Healthcare Camp, Jasper High School, Jasper, Ind.
    • Sophie Condrad
    • Giselle Bez
  • Hear Comes the Boom, Carmel, Ind.
    • Bethany Sanchez
  • Just in Time Essentials, Dupo, Ill.
    • Page Mushaney
  • Mother Nurture, Chesterton High School, Westville, Ind.
    • Arianna Martin
  • Move and Learn, Montgomery Bell Academy, Nashville, Tenn.
    • Colin “Gabe” Lett
  • R.E.A.D., Signature School, Evansville, Ind.
    • Eliza Kumapley
  • Renovate the Armory, O’Fallon, Ill.
    • Andrew Rottschalk
  • Salt Life- An Interactive App for Cystic Fibrosis, Evansville Christian School, Newburgh, Ind.
    • Victoria Mayer
    • Grace Wickersham
  • SolarLens, New Tech Institute, Evansville, Ind.
    • Jacob Barnwell
    • Elie Duff
  • STEMpire: Empowering Young Women in STEM, Evansville Day School, Evansville, Ind.
    • Norah Ahmed
    • Gabbi Saunders
  • Student Sprinters: An Agile approach to learning, Signature School, Evansville, Ind.
    • Suprita Vavilala
  • Up Lift 18, Signature School, Evansville, Ind.
    • Claire Deardorff
    • Jennifer Vazquez
  • Women in STEM, Mokena, Illinois
    • Natalie Willis

ALTERNATES

  • Alzheimer's Earpiece, Mater Dei High School, Evansville, Ind.
    • Avery Ferrari

Important Dates

  • November 17, 2023, 3:30 p.m. Central time – Virtual Info Session
    Watch the Video
  • December 14, 2023 – Registration closes, project submission due
  • December 15, 2023 – Top 20 announced by 5:00 p.m.
  • January 15, 2024 – Support on slide design
  • January 25, 2024 – Rehearsal (Virtual, link to come)
  • January 26-27, 2024 – Competition Event

Competition Event

The 2024 event will be an all-new experience! It will be a celebration of all the incredible changemakers who are competing. There will be time for networking and collaboration as we all work together to make the world a better place.

Top 20 teams will compete on Friday evening, followed by a dance for all competitors where the Top 6 teams will be announced. Saturday afternoon, the Top 6 teams will compete again. The top three teams will be awarded during a gala celebration of all Changemaker Challenge competitors.

Prizes

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

Prizes table
1st place FULL TUITION
2nd place $27,000 SCHOLARSHIP
3rd place $23,000 SCHOLARSHIP

*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.

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 Neighborhood.
    The Promise Neighborhood is a $30 million federal grant program through the United States Department of Education and coordinated through the University of Evansville. The aim of the funding is to assist children and youth who are growing up in Promise Neighborhoods, providing them with access to outstanding schools as well as robust family and community support systems. These resources will help prepare them to achieve academic excellence, make the transition to college, and, ultimately, embark on a successful career. Visit the Evansville Promise Neighborhood web page for all the details!