The UVU Center for Social Impact hosts two exciting research competitions, Oxford Map the System in the fall and Design for Impact in the spring, that challenge students to tackle social issues using systems thinking and design thinking approaches. Both programs include a month-long required weekly workshop series, followed by public presentations that are evaluated by expert judges who then select winning teams.
For more information or to participate in Map the System of Design for Impact, contact Cassie Bingham at [email protected] and register below.
In collaboration with the Oxford University Saïd Business School, this competition invites students to deeply explore a social issue through a systems lens. Teams of 1-3 students research and map the factors contributing to a local challenge, then present their findings at a campus-wide event.
The winning team represents UVU at Oxford University’s global Map the System competition in England. Participants engage in weekly workshops to guide their research and analysis, covering topics like root cause analysis, stakeholder mapping, and feedback loops.
Design for Impact is a case competition that empowers students to develop innovative, data-informed interventions for local social problems. Teams of 1-3 students participate in hands-on design thinking workshops, meant to guide prototype development in response to a case study of a local challenge.
This program culminates in a final competition where teams present and justify their design processes and prototypes. The winning team receives a cash prize to further develop their project.
