Key Ideas
- The Ciena Solutions Challenge invites educators and students to engage in Challenge Based Learning (CBL) to design solutions that address the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).
- 20 project teams from around the world received a $2,500 Sustainability Award to sustain and scale their projects.
- In response to the increased number of award applications, an additional 18 teams received $500 awards.
Since launching in 2021, more than 730 educators from schools and youth organizations across 77 countries have engaged with the Ciena Solutions Challenge, a global design challenge by Digital Promise and Ciena that invites middle and high school students globally to use Challenge Based Learning to design solutions that address the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals within their communities.
Today, we are proud to celebrate the 2024 Ciena Solutions Challenge Sustainability Award recipients, including 20 project teams that received a $2,500 Sustainability Award, 18 teams that received $500 to sustain and scale their projects, and student teams from Ciena Solutions Challenge Model Schools in Atlanta, Georgia, and Ottawa, Ontario, Canada. From earthquake emergency backpacks in Kazakhstan to green roofs in Peru, these projects showcase the talents of youth creators and changemakers from around the world.
Congratulations to all the student teams who participated in the 2023-2024 Ciena Solutions Challenge, including the student teams below from Brazil, Canada, Colombia, Georgia, Ghana, India, Indonesia, Kazakhstan, Kenya, Mauritius, Nigeria, Peru, Tanzania, Uganda, United States, and Zimbabwe.
2024 Ciena Solutions Challenge Sustainability Awards ($2,500)
Brazil
- Project: Sustainable Tourism - Networks and Partnerships
- Site: PEI Simpliciano Campolim de Almeida (Nova Campina, São Paulo, Brazil)
- Educator: Ivanete Landim
- Essential Question: How can we enable and strengthen sustainable tourism through partnerships with the school community?
Canada
- Project: Fisher for the Future
- Site: Fisher Park Summit Alternative Public School (Ottawa, Ontario, Canada)
- Educator: Meghan Polowin and Cameron Wallace
- Essential Question: How can we contribute sustainable solutions for an equitable, sustainable, and better world?
Colombia
- Project: CAFELAB, to Balance the Coffee Ecosystem
- Site: Municipal Montessori Educational Institution, San Francisco Branch (Pitalito, Huila, Colombia)
- Educator: Ramon Maje Floriano
- Essential Question: How can we contribute to the reduction of environmental pollution generated by all the coffee waste?
India
- Project: Frugal Scopes
- Site: Gandhi High Vidyalaya (Purulia, West Bengal, India)
- Educator: Sajal Ghosh
- Essential Question: How can we foster deep interest in science in a large class at an early age?
- Project: How Can I Care, Earth to Ozone Layer?
- Site: Government Girls Senior Secondary School (Indora) (Kāngra, Himachal Pradesh, India)
- Educator: Mohan Sharma
- Essential Question: How can we safeguard the earth and ozone layer for a better sustainable future?
- Project: NO MORE LIMITS
- Site: Santamayee Girls High School (Purulia, West Bengal, India)
- Educator: Susmita Roy Chowdhury
- Essential Question: How can we promote a supportive environment for girls to combat period poverty?
- Projects: Carbon Emission Predictor | Dementia Guard
- Site: Kamla Nehru Public School (Phagwara, Punjab, India)
- Educator: Tanu Monga
- Essential Questions: How can we drastically reduce carbon emissions while ensuring sustainable development and economic prosperity?; How can we alleviate stress and loneliness while supporting dementia patients effectively?
Indonesia
- Project: BOOKLENS
- Site: Leap English and Digital (Surabaya, East Java, Indonesia)
- Educator: Mieke Puspita
- Essential Question: How can we help kids find books suitable for their age, enhancing their reading experiences?
Kazakhstan
- Project: QuickQuake Backpack
- Site: Nazarbayev Intellectual School in Astana (Astana, Kazakhstan)
- Educator: Arman Imansharipova
- Essential Question: How can students influence global society through improving preparedness for an earthquake using available materials?
Kenya
- Projects: CULTURAL VIBES | Walkie | The Peers
- Site: iEARN-Kenya / Mzwanenyi Secondary School (Mombasa, Taita Taveta, Kenya) Olympic High School (Nairobi, Kibra, Kenya), and University Of Eldoret Secondary School (Eldoret, Kenya)
- Educator: Beldine Atieno
- Essential Question: How can we preserve our culture and indigenous languages?; How can the blind navigate safely?; How can we identify and manage stress among youths?
Mauritius
- Project: Tecomarian Endemic Garden
- Site: St Mary's College (Rose Hill, Mauritius)
- Educator: Aashna Nuckched and Cindy Seechurn
- Essential Question: How can we educate our students on conservation of our flora and waste management?
Nigeria
- Project: Solution X
- Site: Caleb British International School (Lagos, Nigeria)
- Educator: Victor Okosun
- Essential Question: How can we ensure positive economic growth and zero poverty through decent work?
- Project: Household Appliances Innovation Powered by Solar
- Site: Egba Odeda High School (Elba Odeda Community, Abeokuta, Nigeria)
- Educator: Ebenezer Anyadiegwu
- Essential Question: How can solar-powered innovations revolutionize household appliances for sustainable living and energy efficiency?
- Project: Sustainable Roots
- Site: Kayron International College (Sangotedo, Lagos, Nigeria)
- Educator: Gloria Livwell-Anamonye
- Essential Question: How can our school foster sustainability to empower future leaders and nurture a green community?
Peru
- Project: Bring Men Back to Nature
- Site: Colegio de Ciencias (Huánuco, Perú)
- Educator: Carlos Chiu
- Essential Question: Most people live in cities. How can we bring nature to cities and to men?
United States
- Project: Aquaponics; Feeding the World From Confined Spaces
- Site: Davis Middle School, Compton Unified School District (Compton, California, United States)
- Educator: Jose Gonzales
- Essential Question: What solutions can we uncover in order to feed communities in limited spaces?
- Project: Tree Team Myco-Remediation!
- Site: Peak to Peak High School (Lafayette, Colorado, United States)
- Educator: Kristie Letter
- Essential Questions: How can we remediate soil with mycelium and plant native mini-forests?
- Project: Building a Healthy Community
- Site: Savanna Oaks Middle School (Fitchburg, Wisconsin, United States)
- Educator: Karie Huttner
- Essential Question: Which Global Goal matters the most to you and what could you do or create?
2024 Ciena Solutions Challenge Sustainability Awards ($500)
Brazil
Georgia
- Project: Menu Calories: One Step Toward Healthy Eating
- Site: Sachkhere Public School N2 (Sachkhere, Imereti, Georgia)
- Educators: Maia Tkemaladze and Eliso Abramishvili
- Essential Question: How do we use tracking calories and technologies to maintain healthy habits?
Ghana
- Project: The Solar-Powered Mower Project
- Site: St. Catherine Senior High School (Agbakope, Volta, Ghana)
- Educator: Leticia Emefa Yawa Akabutoo
- Essential Question: How do we address problems caused by climate change which adversely affect education?
India
- Project: StrawLabs: Turning Waste Straw into Useful Paper
- Site: Seth Anandram Jaipuria School (Lucknow, Uttar Pradesh, India)
- Educators: Shweta Awasthi and Poonam Kochitty
- Essential Question: How can we find a solution to hazardous stubble burning in India?
- Project: CURE
- Site: Natco School of Learning (Guntur, Andra Pradesh, India)
- Educator: Kornepati Vijetha
- Essential Question: How can we cease the usage of plastic?
Tanzania
Uganda
- Projects: Better Me | Sanctity Initiative | Care for Down There
- Site: Gayaza High School (Kampala, Uganda)
- Educator: John Bakayana
- Essential Questions: How can we solve the problem of lack of access to mental health doctors?; How can we effectively educate communities about the importance of clean water and proper sanitation?; How can we ensure information about reproductive health is propagated?
- Project: Save Earth Today to Survive Tomorrow
- Site: The JDO Rwabu Resource Center (Mukono City, Uganda)
- Educator: Kakaire Emmanuel
- Essential Question: Are humans responsible for climate change?
- Project: CABBAGE PRESERVATION BY SUNSHINE
- Site: Kiwango Umea Primary School (Mukono Town, Uganda)
- Educator: Jonathan Tumwine
- Essential Question: How can we end hunger, achieve food security, and improve nutrition in our community?
United States
- Project: Louisville Teen Talk Podcast
- Site: Sowing Seeds With Faith (Louisville, Kentucky, United States)
- Educator: Kiara James
- Essential Question: How can Teen Talk create a safe-to-have, empowering dialogue within marginalized communities?
- Project: Clearing the Air: Taking Our Bathrooms Back
- Site: Central Middle School (Kansas City, Missouri, United States)
- Educator: Andrea Cook
- Essential Question: How can we create a school environment that discourages vaping?
- Project: Beyond Pixel Prowess
- Site: Paseo Academy of Fine and Performing Arts (Kansas City, Missouri, United States)
- Educator: Lindsay-Darshaun Murray
- Essential Question: How might we empower students with distinctive skills in esports to showcase their talents?
Zimbabwe
- Project: VieJobs Personnel Services
- Site: Eveline High School (Bulawayo, Zimbabwe)
- Educator: Jobert Ngwenya
- Essential Question: Can secondary and high school learners get gig work opportunities while continuing their education?
Ciena Solutions Challenge Model Schools Program (Ottawa, Ontario, Canada)
Notre Dame High School
- Project: For The Youth
- Educator: Greg Zapasek
- Essential Question: How can we improve the education system for underprivileged students?
Ridgemont High School
- Project: Girls in STEM
- Educator: Ryan Smith
- Essential Question: How can we give Ridgemont Girls more STEM-based opportunities and get them inspired in STEM?
- Project: ELD Food Drive
- Educator: Ryan Smith
- Essential Question: How can we encourage our community to support people with food insecurity?
- Project: Anti-Bullying Pink Shirts
- Educator: Ryan Smith
- Essential Question: How do we increase participation in Pink Shirt Day?
St. Patrick’s High School
- Project: Student Welcome Club
- Educator: Jillian Brasset
- Essential Question: How can we welcome newcomers to our school? What are their needs?
Ciena Solutions Challenge Model Schools Program (Atlanta, Georgia, United States)
Benjamin E. Mays High School
- Project: Code Clean
- Educator: Alesa Barron
- Essential Question: How can we better clean schools/buses?
- Project: Problem Solved
- Educator: Alesa Barron
- Essential Question: How can we create talc-free loose powder?
- Project: Farmer's Harvest App
- Educator: Alesa Barron
- Essential Question: Why is healthy food expensive?
- Project: Mental Health Era
- Educator: Alesa Barron
- Essential Question: What causes teen mental illness?
- Project: Mobile Wash
- Educator: Alesa Barron
- Essential Question: How can we improve homeless hygiene?
- Project: MindScope
- Educator: Alesa Barron
- Essential Question: How are we able to give immobile/unable students a better virtual school experience?
The B.E.S.T. Academy (6-12)
Coretta Scott King Young Women’s Leadership Academy
- Project: CSK Green Futures Collective
- Educator: Edjohnier Phillips
- Essential Question: How can CSKYWLA empower its community to combat food insecurity and promote sustainable well-being?
Learn more and register for the 2025 Ciena Solutions Challenge
Educators may apply for a 2025 Sustainability Award starting in September 2024. Register for more information and resources to get involved, and learn more about students’ projects in the Ciena Solutions Challenge Project Gallery.
Ready to celebrate youth voice and innovation? Register for the upcoming YouthMADE Festival (May 6-19) to connect live with some of the teams above and to learn more about opportunities to showcase student-led work in your own community.
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