Dell and the RGK Center for Philanthropy & Community Service at The University of Texas awarded the $50,000 Dell Social Innovation Competition grand prize last night to the best new student idea to change the world. Over 1100 student from 250 universities in 33 countries entered the competition through Ideastorm, offering their creative entrepreneurial solutions to solve difficult social problems. Over 65,000 people voted for the student ideas online!
Gardens For Health, the team made up of students Emily Morell of Yale University and Emma Clippinger of Brown University, pitched their idea for life-saving nutritional support for people living with HIV/AIDS in Rwanda to a panel of distinguished judges, including Deb Bauer of Dell Giving. They won against tough competition from teams I Need A Pencil, free SAT prep for disadvantaged youth, and Embrace, a $25 infant incubator invention for developing nations.
All finalist team members walked away with new Studio XPS 13 laptops and Embrace won the $1,000 People's Choice Award by a vote of the audience members.
The audience at the AT&T Center on UT Campus, made up of business, nonprofit, foundation and student leaders were winners as well. Three Dell Mini 10 computers were raffled off to the audience and miraculously all three names drawn were students! The computers will get good use typing out a paper at midnight!
To check out the student video pitches and details on the competition, go to http://www.dellsocialinnovationcompetition.com . We are looking forward to next year's competition – so start thinking of your idea to change the world now!