Mandela Washington Fellows in Nigeria Rollout Competition for Students: Beyond School Community Challenge!

The Mandela Washington Fellowship Alumni Association of Nigeria (MWFAAN) is pleased to roll out the Beyond School Community (BSC) Challenge for secondary school students across Nigeria. The BSC Challenge is a national community development and entrepreneurship program designed specifically to engage young Nigerians in secondary schools to develop the critical entrepreneurial skills they need to make impacts in their communities. The program seeks to inspire students to improve their communities through innovative entrepreneurial actions

The BSC Challenge provides a platform for teams of outstanding secondary school students to create community development projects that capitalize on people’s ideas and talents as the pillar for making social and economic impacts. Guided by advisors and supported by their schools, the students take an overreaching idea and a hands-on entrepreneurial approach that empowers people to collectively tackle community development-oriented challenges.

Speaking on this Laudable project, the Vice President of MWFAAN, Grace Ihejiamaizu stated that "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." She added.

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. Interested students are expected to take the following steps:
Step 1: Identify one significant problem in a specific community and propose an innovative solution with social and economic impacts.

Step 2: Build a team comprising of 3 students in the age range of 13 to 18 and select a teacher as an Advisor. 
Step 3: 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.
Step 4: Design a viable solution to the problem identified using a unique business model with the help of the teacher. It is imperative that the proposed solution significantly addresses at least one relevant  targets of Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs)
Step 5: Submit an online application and upload the certificates of the YALI learn courses before the deadline of July 19, 2017. 

Ihejiamaizu assured that all applications received will be duly scrutinized and judged by MWFAAN panel judges, adding that 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.