The MIT Global Challenge - the inspiration, purpose, and activities. Join us! http://globalchallenge.mit.edu

1. MIT students have the ambition, the energy, and the skills to make the world a better place. MIT alumni have the experience, the connections, and the depth of understanding to help make that dream happen. The MIT Global Challenge will bring those two groups together to impact the world. - Brian L. Hinman, EE 1984

2. Proposition The world-wide MIT community – 120,000 alumni across 130 countries – is uniquely positioned to inform, instruct, and invest in today’s young problem solvers. The Global Challenge offers an opportunity to foster and feed those connections.

3. Background It is estimated that 25,800 companies founded by MIT alumni employ about 3.3 million people and generate annual world revenues of $2 trillion, producing the equivalent of the eleventh-largest economy in the world. Imagine if we applied that kind of entrepreneurial talent to today’s urgent humanitarian challenges.

4. Mission The Global Challenge will contribute to real improvements in human well-being by helping MIT students and the worldwide MIT community design and pilot innovative products and services in partnership with the people who need them.

5. Approach Connect, support, and celebrate teams of public service innovators through an annual competition that provides up to $25,000 in implementation grants to teams demonstrating the greatest innovation, feasibility, and impact.

9. Examples

10. PerfectSight Developers of an innovative, mobile system for diagnosing refractive eye conditions for under $1 using cell phones . Year awarded: 2010 Location: Malawi

11. EGG-energy Developers of an innovative lighting and energy leasing franchise that aims to eliminate costly, unhealthy, and dangerous kerosene lanterns used around the world. Year awarded: 2009 Location: Tanzania

12. 6Dot Braille Labeler Developers of a portable and easy to use electronic braille labeling device that significantly increases the ease and speed of creating braille labels by the visually impaired . Year awarded: 2008 Location: United States

13. HeatSource Textiles Developers of a novel phase change heating form that can be used within clothing and bedding, with the purpose of promoting comfort while reducing risks of indoor air pollution. Year awarded: 2008 Location: Western China

14. Leveraged Freedom Wheel Chair Developers of a rugged wheelchair suited to the needs of the physically impaired in the developing world, where unpaved surfaces make road travel difficult and slow. Year awarded: 2007 Location: Tanzania

18. Your generation wears its commitment to the greater good quite lightly. You use your skills to help repair a broken world, however, you see nothing remarkable about it; you simply expect it of each other, and of yourselves. - President Susan Hockfield Commencement Address to the Class of 2010

19. Contact Lars Hasselblad Torres 617-324-5176 [email_address] On the web http://globalchallenge.mit.edu On Twitter @mitchallenge