Mandela Washington Fellowship Alumni Association unveils search for young social, innovators, change-makers.

THE Mandela Washington Fellowship Alumni Association of Nigeria, MWFAAN, has unveiled ‘search’ for young social innovators and changemakers through its Beyond School Community, BSC, challenge for secondary school students across the country.
This was disclosed by the Vice President, MWFAAN, Grace Ihejiamaizu, who explained that the BSC challenge provides a platform for teams of outstanding secondary school students to create community development projects that capitalise on people’s ideas and talents as the pillar for making social and economic impacts.
The participating students are expected to be guided by advisors and supported by their schools, the students are to take an over-reaching idea and a hands-on entrepreneurial approach that empowers people to collectively tackle community development-oriented challenges.
Ihejiamaizu further stated that all applications received will be duly scrutinized and judged by MWFAAN panel judges. Each participating team will receive a feedback regarding the outcome of their applications.
Five finalist teams will receive invitation to the Pitch Competition and Summit in Lagos, Nigeria. In addition, the top three winning teams will receive exciting cash prizes, mentoring and educational grants. A Teacher Prize will be given to the most outstanding and committed teacher.

She said: “Nigeria needs more social innovators and changemakers who will take action towards solving problems. The question this challenge poses to our young ones is, ‘If you could solve one problem in your community, what would it be? We want them to identify problems within their communities and propose solutions that have both social and economic impact.”

“We need to foster collaboration among our future leaders and empower them to develop skills that will transform their lives and our nation. The competition is open to secondary schools students in rural, as well as urban areas within the age range of 13-18 throughout the country. For more information on how to apply, please visit www.beyondschoolchallenge.com.”

According to her the conditions interested students should adhere to include identify one significant problem in a specific community and propose an innovative solution with social and economic impacts, build a team comprising of 3 students in the age range of 13 to 18 and select a teacher as an advisor.

“Take YALI Learn courses online with the help of the advising teacher. Where it is not possible to completely access the courses online, MWFAAN will assign a fellow or a YALI network member to facilitate the courses offline, design a viable solution to the problem identified using a unique business model with the help of the teacher”, she added.

According to her the proposed solution significantly addresses at least one relevant target of Sustainable Development Goals, SDGs, submit an online application and upload the certificates of the YALI learn courses before the deadline of July 19, 2017.
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