To further advance the innovation skills of community college students, the National Science Foundation and the American Association of Community Colleges (AACC) collaborated to relaunch an entrepreneurial competition.
As part of the Community College Innovation Challenge (CCIC), alongside administrator or faculty member mentorship, teams of two to four students create proposals to address real-world issues through science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM) strategies, AACC reported.
In addition to competing for cash prizes, up to 10 finalists will also attend a virtual Innovation Boot Camp, which provides students the opportunity to interact with entrepreneurs and stakeholders. Last year’s competition was cancelled due to COVID-19, according to AACC.
“CCIC truly showcases the innovation that is happening at the nation’s community colleges,” Dr. Walter G. Bumphus, president and CEO of AACC, said in a statement. “These students bring to life the next level of cutting-edge thinking and we are proud to partner with NSF to provide this opportunity to students and to advance their initiatives at a national level.”