As a high school student interested in STEM and entrepreneurship, you're likely looking for the perfect opportunity to learn at the intersection of these two fields. This blog post focuses on the Conrad Challenge, an entrepreneurship and innovation competition for STEM enthusiasts. Not only does participating in such a challenge add to your overall profile, but also offers an invaluable experience in innovation, teamwork, and problem-solving. If you want to build your core skills in a competitive environment that pushes you to innovate, then read on to learn more about the challenge.

What is the Conrad Challenge?

Founded in honor of Apollo 12 astronaut Charles “Pete” Conrad Jr. who was the third human to walk on the moon, the Conrad Challenge is an annual innovation and entrepreneurship contest that encourages students aged 13-18 to form teams and develop solutions to pressing global challenges. With a focus on complex and critical areas like aerospace & aviation, cyber-technology & security, energy & environment, and health & nutrition, the Challenge is designed to foster creativity, critical thinking and a spirit of entrepreneurship.

With over 2,800 participants from 50 countries in the 2022-23 season, the Challenge offers a unique platform for you to learn how to apply science, technology, and innovation in solving real-world problems. The Conrad Foundation has now partnered with Space Center Houston to take the challenge forward.

Is it prestigious?

The Conrad Challenge is one of the most prestigious STEM competitions not just in the US, but globally. With over 2,800 students from 50 countries, it's a testament to its international appeal and recognition. The sponsors of the challenge like the Space Center Houston, NASA, DELL Technologies, the Battelle Organization, and the RISE Program add to the exposure and prestige of participation.

The alumni of the Conrad Challenge have gone on to win other major entrepreneurship competitions, create their own brands, products, and even patent their work, showcasing the Challenge's role in shaping future leaders. Finally, the Challenge provides unique opportunities for networking, mentorship, and exposure to industry experts through the course of the competition and through the concluding Innovation Summit. Only one team ends up winning the Conrad Innovator distinction from the 500+ that participate, and if that’s you, then it will be a glowing addition to your profile.

Who is eligible for the Conrad Challenge and how do you apply?

To ensure that you and your team are eligible for the Conrad Challenge, you must meet the following criteria:

• Each team must consist of 2 to 5 students aged 13 to 18 

• The competition is open to international participants - you can be anywhere in the world and be part of the Conrad Challenge.

• Your team must have a team coach who is at least 18 years of age, to serve as an adult supervisor.

• If you and your team have participated in the Challenge previously, you can participate again as long as you meet the above requirements and your idea has significantly evolved if you’re opting to submit it again.

Currently, the applications for the challenge are closed. They will open for the 2024-2025 iteration in August 2024, and you can sign up here to be in the loop.

What are the costs involved?

While the first two stages of the Challenge are free, there is a fee of $499 for the Innovation Stage. If your team is selected to advance to the final Power Pitch Stage and the Conrad Challenge Innovation Summit and/or the accompanying virtual events, you will need to pay for registration, travel and accommodations.

How is the Conrad Challenge structured?

The Conrad Challenge consists of four distinct stages, that work as follows:

1. Activation Stage - due November 3: Simply put, this is the registration and team formation phase, where you and your teammates will need to enroll yourselves along with your coach on the Conrad Portal.

2. Lean Canvas Stage - due November 3: This is where the work starts. In this stage, you will have to brainstorm ideas, narrow down on your innovation, and build your canvas. Here’s what it involves:

1. Step 1: Ideate - brainstorm challenges and potential solutions and innovations with your team.

2. Step 2: Complete your lean canvas - use the Lean Canvas tool of answering 12 questions that outline your innovation and business model.

3. Step 3: Finalize your name and challenge category - The previous two steps should now help you confirm the category you want to compete in. These are: aerospace & aviation, cyber technology & security, energy & environment, and health & nutrition.

3. Innovation Stage - due January 12: This is when you design, create and communicate your plan.

1. Step 1: Innovation brief - Develop a comprehensive, 10-part brief detailing your innovation, its impact, and business model. This is one of the most challenging and important documents that you will work on, a full 3000 words answering 10 questions addressing each part of your innovation.

2. Step 2: Innovation video - Create a 3-5 minute video demonstrating your innovation. Using a sketch, 3D model, wireframe or prototype, tell a convincing and credible story of the reasoning behind your innovation and how you believe it can change the world.

3. Step 3: Website creation - Design a website to showcase your team and innovation to the public.

In this stage, submissions are evaluated based on the following criteria - innovation (30%), storytelling (20%), practicality (20%), marketing strategy (20%), and financial understanding (10%).

4. Power Pitch Stages - April 23-26: This is the final stretch where at the Conrad Challenge Innovation Summit held at the Johnson Space Center in Houston, Texas, all teams will present their final pitch and one of them will be awarded the Conrad Innovator distinction. Conrad Innovators receive numerous awards including academic scholarships to universities as well as admission to entrepreneurial accelerator programs!

8 tips to help you win

1. Maximize your usage of the Lean Canvas: This is arguably the most crucial tool in your attempt. The Lean Canvas is meant to help you both prompt and analyze the validity of your idea. Spend plenty of time running iterations of it with your team, ideally putting multiple problem-solution pairs through the 12-question grinder. This will help you start the next stage with a clear understanding of the problem you're addressing.

2. Innovate with purpose: While the challenge demands that your solutions should be innovative, they will also need to be practical. If you’re not crystal clear with your plan and the reasoning behind each aspect of it, it will make the Innovation brief document very difficult to submit. So think outside the box, but stay grounded in reality.

3. Leverage your team strengths: A successful team is more than just a group of smart individuals. Work with your coach on building a cohesive and collaborative team that utilizes each member’s strengths and shores up weaknesses. While you will want diverse perspectives for the brainstorming and ideation phases, the work being put in for detailing the idea will require focused, well-distributed effort so that each element of your plan is thoroughly detailed.

4. Use all available resources: The Conrad Foundation has provided an absolutely massive collection of links and resources related to virtually every aspect of the challenge, helpfully color coded for each specific stage. With the help of your coach, you should also try to find industry experts or mentors who are familiar with your chosen subject area and the problem you’re trying to tackle, who can potentially guide you even further.

5. Master the art of storytelling: A solid 20% of weightage for your final submission is given to how well you have been able to present your idea. Your presentation should tell a compelling story about your innovation, right from the depth of the problem you’ve chosen to tackle, the impact that you can potentially make, and how it can all be done. Make it engaging, relatable and understandable. The video and the website are particularly powerful tools and will allow you to use innovative ways of taking a viewer along on a journey. Consider using gamification, simulations, 3D prototypes, animations, and other such tools.

6. Check what previous winners did right: Look at the work of successful Conrad alums to understand exactly what the judges are looking for and the kind of work that needs to be put in, as well as the diversity of ideas that have won a top spot. This will help you identify the components of a successful pitch, and how much room you have to maneuver when it comes to innovating a solution and still have it be feasible. This also brings us to the next point.

7. Practice your pitch: The Power Pitch at the Innovation Summit is the home stretch where you need to win. It goes without saying that you should practice your pitch thoroughly in preparation, as well as do mock Q&A sessions with your coach and / or any other mentors you’re able to get on-board. The final pitch needs to be clear, concise, and convincing with very little margin for error.

8. Showcase your passion: Make sure to enjoy the journey on your way to the podium so that your enthusiasm and passion stay strong and genuine throughout. Judges are drawn to genuine enthusiasm and commitment. Put in the work for your project at every stage, but don’t forget to let your passion for it shine through.

If you’re interested in artificial intelligence and machine learning, consider applying to the Veritas AI programs! 

Founded by Harvard graduate students, Veritas AI gives you the opportunity to learn the fundamentals of computer science and AI. You get a chance to work 1-1 with mentors from universities like Harvard, Stanford, MIT, Oxford, and more to write research papers or build unique projects. Last year, we had over 1000 students apply to do AI work with us, and our alums went on to study computer science and AI at top universities. You can find the application form here.

If you’re looking for an incubator program that helps you establish a developed startup in high school, consider the Young Founders Lab! 

The Young Founder’s Lab is a real-world start-up bootcamp founded and run by Harvard entrepreneurs. In this program, you will work towards building a revenue-generating start-up that addresses a real-world problem. You will also have the opportunity to be mentored by established entrepreneurs and professionals from Google, Microsoft, and X. You can access the application form here!

If you’re looking to build unique projects in the field of AI/ML, consider applying to Veritas AI! 

Veritas AI was founded by Harvard graduate students, and through the programs, you get a chance to learn the fundamentals of AI and computer science while collaborating on real-world projects. You can also work 1-1 with mentors from universities like Harvard, Stanford, MIT, and more to create unique, personalized projects. In the past year, we had over 1000 students learn data science and AI with us. You can apply here!

Image Source - Conrad Challenge Logo