1. Registration Underway for the Fifth Edition
GLOBAL JUNIOR CHALLENGE 2009
to reduce global inequality
via technology, creativity and social innovation
The international Global Junior Challenge competition rewards the innovative use of technologies for
training, solidarity and inter-cultural cooperation. The competition is open to everyone: schools and
universities, public and private institutions, cultural associations and cooperatives, enterprises and
individual citizens. The deadline for registering is July 30, 2009.
At its fifth edition, the competition is held every two years by the dalla Fondazione Mondo Digitale, a
non-profit foundation presided by Linguist Tullio De Mauro, that was created by the Municipalità of Rome
and six large IT enterprises. During the course of the past four editions, the jury experts have evaluated
more than 2000 projects from every corner of the world. More than 24,000 individuals from more than 70
countries have participated in the finale event, exhibition, meetings and award ceremonies of the GJC.
Nearly two and a half million clicks on the www.e-inclusionsite.org have financed projects from the
poorest countries. Amongst the new features of the 2009 edition, in the context of the European Year for
Creativity and Innovation, there is a special new category dedicated to “Creativity and Social Innovation”
and an international meeting has been organized together with the most important action and research
centres on social innovation.
The Global Junior Challenge provides a unique opportunity to reflect on the challenger posed by 21st
century education and the role of technology in social integration, development and the elimination of
world poverty.
Competition categories – eligible parties include projects operating as of December 31st 2008
addressing young people up to 29 years old and employing ICT technology for educational and training
objectives. Participating projects are subdivided into four categories based on the age of the
beneficiaries (up to ten years old, up to fifteen, up to eighteen and up to twenty-nine) as well as two
special categories. The first of the two special categories, as in the previous editions, is reserved for
projects that promote the insertion of youth into the working world, while the second is dedicated projects
promoting creativity and social innovation.
The Award – An international jury selects the projects and proclaims the winners. There are three types
of awards: the Global Junior Challenge Award (a statuette of the Etruscan she-wolf with Romulus and
Remus, the prestigious symbol of the foundation of the city of Rome) is presented to the winning projects
selected from amongst all participants; the President of the Republic Award (three silver cups) is
presented to the most innovative projects created by Italian schools; and the Small Fund Award is
presented to projects from developing countries together with a modest grant (up to €5000) provided by
the clicking mechanism fund collection on the www.e-inclusion.org site. An exhibition space will be
organized in Rome for all finalist projects and will be animated by workshops, debates and meetings on
October 7-8, 2009. The Awards ceremony will take place on October 9, 2009.
How to Participate
To present a project please fill out the on-line application form available at www.gjc.it/2009 or mail the
completed application to: Fondazione Mondo Digitale, via Umbria 7, 00187 Roma. You may also send
the application via fax (+39.06.42000442) or by e-mail (info@gjc.it). All information on the competition
(categories, forms, regulations) are available on-line at www.gjc.it
Rome, July 2009
Press Office: Fondazione Mondo Digitale
Elisa Amorelli, tel. 06 42014109, cell. 392 8664584, e.amorelli@mondodigitale.org