Skip to main content

School of Public Service Impact Challenge 2024

2024 Theme

Housing for All

Housing is personal. Lack of housing can exacerbates social inequalities and affects the overall well-being of the community in a multitude of ways. Housing is also the key to our economy and ability to reduce financial burden, stimulate economic growth, and provide stable living conditions enabling the community to focus on work or education. As part of the theme “Housing for All,” teams of students mentored by faculty members will research, investigate and analyze a different challenge for each group representing all SPS programs.

The Challenge

Develop a solution-oriented pitch to a community-articulated challenge using your SPS skills, knowledge, and resources.

This is a ‘reverse pitch’ competition, meaning you don’t have to bring your idea. Students will choose a problem provided by community partners and propose a solution as a new strategy to address the community challenge. Our community partners will identify their challenges and pose them as problem statements. There will be a wide range of problems to solve relating to the theme “Housing for All.”

Participants refine their solutions through research, constituent discovery, and idea validation. Teams will pitch their ideas and compete for up to $1000 prize. Winners will also be awarded a “Golden Ticket” to compete in the Idaho Entrepreneur Challenge.  Other competitors can participate in the Venture College Incubator to take their ideas to the next step.

Register for the Challenge!

2024 Schedule

Deadlines

Registration closes September 3rd, 2024

Register here!

Orientation

September 6, 2024

1pm-3pm ILC 303 or via this zoom link (in-person is preferred)

Weekly Workshops

Unpacking the challenge statement

September 13th, 2024

1pm-3pm ILC 303

Design Thinking: How to address the challenge

September 20th, 2024

1pm-3pm ILC 303

Community Impact & Partners

September 27th, 2024

1pm-3pm ILC 303

Watch Hacking for Homebuilding Pitches

October 3rd, 2024

10am-12pm

JUMP Building | 6th Floor, Pioneer Room

Hacking for Homebuilding is a statewide competition offered in partnership by Boise State University’s Venture College, a program in the College of Innovation and Design, and College of Engineering. Participants refine their solutions into ventures through research, customer discovery, and idea validation.

Financial Viability & Funding

October 11th, 2024

1pm-3pm ILC 303

1-on-1 meetings with new coach

Week of October 7th-11th

Schedule a 1:1 meeting with a different coach during the week. This is not your faculty mentor, but another mentor of another participant or team. This is done independently of scheduled meeting times. 

Final Practice Pitch

October 18th, 2024

1pm-3pm ILC 303

Final Competition

1pm-3pm College of Innovation & Design

2nd floor of Albertson’s Library

Participants will present their research and solution to a panel of judges and answer a series of questions. Winner will be announced at the end of the program.

This Year's Challenges

For Impact Challenge Participants

Resources

Our aim is to offer comprehensive resources that guide students in understanding the process of developing innovative solutions to large-scale challenges. In collaboration with our partners the Venture College we provide a structured framework to help students refine their ideas with precision and detail, along with access to accurate and relevant information to substantiate and support these concepts. Students will feel empowered with the knowledge and tools to navigate and succeed thinking through an entrepreneurial lens that many students may not be exposed to in their college career.

Resource Guide

Resource Handbook

Presentation Template

Slide Deck

Judge Rubric

Rubric

Logic Models for Beginners

Logic Models

Impact Challenge Winners

  • Damien Peinitz (2023)

    Damien’s pitch centered around training the National Guard and other emergency response individuals with CDL licenses to utilize a bus fleet to evacuate residents.

    Damien’s pitch centered around training the National Guard and other emergency response individuals with CDL licenses to utilize a bus fleet to evacuate residents.

  • 2024 To Be Determined

    Ready to make a change in your local Boise community, build research, critical thinking and public speaking skills? Sign up to be a part of the Impact Challenge!

    Ready to make a change in your local Boise community, build research, critical thinking and public speaking skills? Sign up to be a part of the Impact Challenge!

Thanks to our collaborative partners the Venture College.

Questions about the competition can be directed to Mike Stefancic at mikestefancic@boisestate.edu