Annual Back to School Innovation Challenge asks youth to help solve community problems
In October, Startland Education teamed up with partners to present the annual ‘Back 2 School Innovation Challenge’. The challenge brought together more than 100 students from 10 schools across the Kansas City metro for a day of problem solving and group collaboration.
This year’s Back 2 School program was led by presenting partner KC Farm School, who tasked the students with presenting ideas for how the nonprofit organization could mobilize local youth to engage with urban farming in their communities. Student groups, each representing multiple schools, worked with Startland staff and volunteer mentors to discuss solutions to KC Farm School’s challenge. The day culminated with each group presenting their ideas in a pitch to their peers and a panel of judges.
Events like this would be impossible without the dedication of our volunteer mentors, and support from our community partners. A special ‘thank you’ goes to KC Farm School for being our presenting partner, the UMKC Bloch School of Management for serving as our location and food partner, and the DeBruce Foundation for being our prize and agilities partner. If you or your organization are interested in ways to support Startland’s mission, please visit our website to learn about ways to get involved!
Key Takeaways
“The problem of food insecurity can be a good thing, because it’s teaching other people to have self-conservation skills for themselves.” - Leland Williams, Senior Northeast High School
“Agriculture can address food access and it can also empower people to start thinking about themselves as real players in their future. We try not to assume what a high schooler would want, but to work with a high schooler and ask them.” - Alicia Ellingsworth, Executive Director of KC Farm School
