How can marginalized girls and young women access quality learning opportunities to succeed?

Challenge Overview

Over $2 million in prize funding is available for Solve's 2020 Global Challenges, including Learning for Girls & Women. Learn more.

Compared to their male counterparts, girls and young women around the world have unequal access to quality education. Today, out of the 132 million girls worldwide who are out of school—including 52 million in Sub-Saharan Africa alone—16 million will never set foot in a classroom. Even for those who were previously in school, COVID-19 school closures have disrupted, and in many cases interrupted, the education of more than 740 million girls and young women.

With more education, girls and young women earn higher wages, are less susceptible to infectious diseases, have lower maternal and newborn mortality rates, are less likely to marry as children or against their will, have more productive agricultural plots, and build greater resilience in the face of the effects of climate change. If every girl worldwide received 12 years of quality education, lifetime earnings for women could increase by up to $30 trillion globally, boosting the GDPs of entire countries worldwide. 

Despite these gains, significant barriers such as poverty, early marriages, cultural and social practices, gender biases, and unsafe or unwelcoming learning environments continue to inhibit girls and young women from enrolling in school at all levels and reaching pivotal learning milestones. While great strides have been made in improving educational opportunities for girls and young women, existing barriers remain prevalent and will be exacerbated by COVID-19 and its aftermath, calling for new models and innovations to close the gap.

The MIT Solve community is looking for technology-based solutions that level the playing field for girls and young women throughout their learning journey, from birth up to age 24. To that end, Solve seeks solutions that:

• Increase the number of girls and young women participating in formal and informal learning and training;

• Strengthen practical skills, competencies, and experiential learning opportunities, particularly in STEM and digital literacy, for girls and young women to effectively transition from education to employment; 

• Reduce the barriers that prevent girls and young women—especially those living in conflict and emergency situations—from reaching key learning milestones; and

• Promote gender-inclusive and gender-responsive education for everyone, including gender non-binary and transgender learners.

For more details on Solver Funding, Prize, and Partnership Eligibility for the Learning for Girls & Women Challenge, visit the Prizes tab.

Prizes

Solver Funding

All solutions selected for Solve’s five current Global Challenges will receive a $10,000 grant funded by Solve. Solver teams will be selected by a panel of cross-sector judges at Virtual Solve Challenge Finals on September 29, 2020.

In addition to Solve funding, the following prizes are available to Solver teams selected for the Learning for Girls & Women Challenge. To be considered for a prize, complete the prize-specific question within the application. You do not need to meet these requirements to apply to the Learning for Girls & Women Challenge:

The Andan Prize for Innovation in Refugee Inclusion

The Andan Prize for Innovation in Refugee Inclusion is open to solutions that advance the economic, financial, and political inclusion of refugees. The prize is funded by Andan Foundation, a Swiss non-profit foundation dedicated to supporting solutions that promote refugee resilience, self-reliance and integration. Up to $100,000 will be granted to up to four eligible Solver teams from across any of Solve’s current Global Challenges.

Innovation for Women Prize

Solutions that use innovative technology to improve quality of life for women and girls are eligible for the Innovation for Women Prize. This prize is funded by the Vodafone Americas Foundation, which supports technology-focused projects that advance the needs of women and girls, and that promote a world where women’s voices can be celebrated. Up to $75,000 will be granted across up to three Solver teams from any of Solve’s current Global Challenges.

The GM Prize on Learning for Girls and Women

Solutions that encourage access to learning opportunities for the world’s most vulnerable girls and women, including access to STEM education, are eligible for the GM Prize on Learning for Girls and Women, made possible by General Motors. Up to $75,000 will be granted to up to three Solver teams within the Learning for Girls and Women Challenge, along with the opportunity to visit GM headquarters to meet with engineers and discuss solution scaling.

The Gulbenkian Award for Adult Literacy

The Gulbenkian Foundation Award is open to solutions that increase literacy rates among adults and that advance inclusive economic growth through upskilling and greater digital literacy. Selected solutions will be based anywhere, and should be interested in including a future pilot in Portugal. The Calouste Gulbenkian Foundation will assist the selected Solver teams to find partners to support local pilots. The award is funded by the Calouste Gulbenkian Foundation, an international foundation based in Portugal which supports the fields of arts, charity, education, and science. Up to $300,000 will be granted across up to four eligible Solver teams from the Good Jobs and Inclusive Entrepreneurship and Learning for Girls and Women Challenges.

The AI for Humanity Prize

The AI for Humanity Prize is open to solutions that are already using strong data science, artificial intelligence, or machine learning to benefit humanity, and to solutions that are not yet using these technologies but plan to do so to amplify their impact in the future. This prize is made possible by The Patrick J. McGovern Foundation, which is dedicated to improving the lives of individuals and our global community through neuroscience research and information technology. Up to $200,000 in funding will be awarded across several Solver teams from any of Solve’s Global Challenges.

Future Planet Capital Prize

The Future Planet Capital Prize is open to scalable, for-profit solutions that have the potential to significantly impact millions of lives. The prize is funded by Future Planet Capital, which connects the world’s largest investors to its brightest minds to profitably address global challenges. One or more Solver teams, selected from any of Solve's current Global Challenges, will receive a total of $200,000 in investment funds. Solve Finalists under consideration for this Prize will be asked to provide materials and data (in addition to what is provided in the MIT Solve application) to enable Future Planet Capital to evaluate the prospective investments. Investment funding is contingent upon Future Planet Capital's evaluation of these materials, completion of due diligence, and parties agreeing on investment terms.

The Experian Prize

The Experian Prize is open to solutions that promote the financial health of workers, businesses, and communities most affected by Covid-19. The prize is funded by Experian, a multinational consumer credit reporting company dedicated to supporting access to good jobs and financial literacy in communities experiencing financial crises. Up to $100,000 will be granted to up to four eligible Solver teams from the Good Jobs & Inclusive Entrepreneurship and Learning for Girls & Women Challenges. Recipients of The Experian Prize will also receive access to Experian's in-house expertise and resources to help accelerate their solutions.

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If every girl received 12 years of quality education, lifetime earnings for women could increase by $30 trillion globally, boosting GDPs of entire countries. @SolveMIT is seeking your solutions to improve #GirlsEducation. $1M in funding is available: https://solve-mit-edu.ezproxyberklee.flo.org/challenges/learning-for-girls-and-women

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If every girl received 12 years of quality education, lifetime earnings for women could increase by $30 trillion globally, boosting GDPs of entire countries. @Solve - MIT is seeking your solutions to improve #GirlsEducation and learning for young women. Over $1 million in prize funding is available for Solve’s 2020 Global Challenges: https://solve-mit-edu.ezproxyberklee.flo.org/challenges/learning-for-girls-and-women

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