Real World Design Challenge
Real World Design Challenge
The scholarship program was initiated by the Real World Design Challenge to allow high school students to work on real-world engineering challenges in a collaborative team. This scholarship is open to any high school student in any country aged 13–20 years.
Every year, Real World Design Challenge provides many scholarships to teams of high school students enrolled in different schools across the world. Applicants are primarily assessed on the viability of the proposed solution they are offering to solve the challenge provided. Annually, $50,000 scholarships are provided to each student fielded on the team that wins the award.
The Real World Design Challenge Scholars Program provokes the creative prowess of the students to solve some of the world’s critical problems through Engineering. The students are involved in rigorous feedback processes that help them improve on their proposed solutions. This exposes them to real-world engineering practices, design thinking, and human-centered design which are some of the most sought-after skills in problem-solving projects.
Scholarship Summary
The scholarship program was initiated by the Real World Design Challenge to allow high school students to work on real-world engineering challenges in a collaborative team. This scholarship is open to any high school student in any country aged 13–20 years.
Every year, Real World Design Challenge provides many scholarships to teams of high school students enrolled in different schools across the world. Applicants are primarily assessed on the viability of the proposed solution they are offering to solve the challenge provided. Annually, $50,000 scholarships are provided to each student fielded on the team that wins the award.
The Real World Design Challenge Scholars Program provokes the creative prowess of the students to solve some of the world’s critical problems through Engineering. The students are involved in rigorous feedback processes that help them improve on their proposed solutions. This exposes them to real-world engineering practices, design thinking, and human-centered design which are some of the most sought-after skills in problem-solving projects.
Eligibility Requirements
- Eligible Grade: High School Freshman – High School Senior
- Age: 13 – 20
- Required GPA: Any
- Geographic Eligibility: Any
- Gender: Any
- Race/Ethnicity: Any
Key Information of Real World Design Challenge
Study Details
Area of Study
Health Care
Country of Study
Any
Specific Schools
Any
Application Requirements
Here’s what you need to submit besides your application.
- Special Project
Real World Design Challenge Timeline
January 1
Application Opening Date
Applications usually open at the beginning of the year.
March 29
Submission Deadline
The deadline for application submission is often in March.
April
Award Announcement Date
The recipients of the award are announced by the end of the month.
How to ace the Real World Design Challenge
Scale down to one solution
The solution to the problem needs to be specific and not broad. Scaling down the solution makes your project simple, achievable, and easy to prototype. Having one specific solution addressed to the problem increases your chances of being a recipient of the award.
Test your solution thoroughly
Before submitting your application, test your solution by having many users review it. It is important to incorporate the feedback from the users to further strengthen the proposed solution.
Choose team members with diverse skills
The project is designed to expose you to collaborative approaches in a team when solving engineering problems, therefore each team member must have clearly defined roles that best match their passion and skills. The efforts of each team member ultimately contribute to the team’s general score.
Have regular review meetings with mentors
It is required for every team to have field coaches who help mentor them in the project. Having frequent meetings with your mentors will definitely improve the quality of the project by constantly incorporating the feedback they give.
How the Real World Design Challenge is Judged
Applicants are evaluated on the feasibility, strength, and value proposition of their projects. Applicants are expected to constantly work on their project collaboratively in the team while having in mind the specific challenge to address.
Why We Love the Real World Design Challenge
A collaborative team effort
The scholarship design challenge is not born of individual efforts, but a team’s. Therefore one can choose team members who can complement their weaknesses.
No essays and academic requirements
The design challenge is only specific to the project aimed at solving the problem, applicants don’t have to write many essays and have a minimum academic qualification.
Exposure to real-world project management
At a young age, the applicants are exposed to real-world processes used to solve problems. It will be easier for them to hone the skills earned during the project and make them easily employable.
5 Facts about Real World Design Challenge
The scholars come from all continents
The participants of the challenge are fielded from every region of the world, which makes it fun for the students, and very inclusive.
Many scholars build great engineering careers
The scholars are exposed to unique problem-solving practices in engineering, which gives them an opportunity of a lifetime to jump-start their careers.
Promoting innovative student-teacher mentorship style
The participants of the challenge must have mentors who are teachers, to help them with the project, the coaching style is innovative and easy to replicate on other school projects.
Amplifying real contributions from students
Real Engineering solutions to problems from high school students have been amplified through the program, with many of the scholars given the opportunity to work on the project with experts.
Bridging the gap between education and market
The Real World Design Challenge exposes students to real-world application of the school curriculum and a piece of much-needed information on the fast-paced nature of innovation.