Early Childhood Innovation Challenge seeking new ideas to drive change

The Saul Zaentz Early Education Initiative, part of the Harvard Graduate School of Education, is seeking individuals or teams to submit new ideas to drive transformative change in early education via its Zaentz Early Education Innovation Challenge.

 

Now in its fifth year, the Zaentz Early Education Innovation Challenge is seeking submissions from teams or individuals who have innovations or ideas to showcase which target short-term or long-term change at any level of the early education system, including home, classroom, program, network, and/or policy. 

 

To support innovation at any stage, the Challenge has two submission tracks:

 

• Envision Track is for applicants who have an idea and are seeking to try it out in the real world
• Accelerate Track is for applicants who have already tried out their idea and are seeking to evaluate it, refine it, and/or expand its reach

 

International submissions from outside the United States of America are encouraged, however ideas, prototypes, products and/or services must be implemented in the United States, or available to US based users (if the solution is an app or other tech based solution.) 

 

“High-quality early education is crucial for healthy child development, thriving families, and strong communities. And yet, across the country, our early education systems face persistent challenges,” Nonie Lesaux, Roy Edward Larsen Professor of Education and Human Development and co-director of the Saul Zaentz Early Education Initiative said . 

 

“To deliver on early education’s promise and potential, we need to improve all levels of the system, from supporting the workforce, to finding new ways to promote children’s healthy development, to creating policy solutions that bring more and better early learning opportunities. Now is the time for creative, collaborative solutions that will drive positive outcomes for all children.”

 

Finalists in both tracks will be invited to present their solutions to a panel of expert judges and a live audience at the Harvard Graduate School of Education. Winners will receive a cash prize.

 

The deadline to submit is July 19, 2024, at 11:59 PM ET. To apply, learn about past winners, and view more information about the Zaentz Early Education Innovation Challenge please see here.