Competition sparks ideas for creating a more diverse and inclusive world.
No Barriers USA and Wells Fargo & Company(NYSE: WFC) announced the winners of the 2018 Global Impact Challenge, a year-long competition designed to inspire the best ideas from students to build a world free of stereotypes and discrimination. The goal of the Global Impact Challenge is to equip teachers with the tools necessary to help students dream big and break down diversity and inclusion barriers.
“No Barriers unleashes the potential of educators and their students, giving them the mindset and tools to break through barriers and lead with purpose,” said Andrea Delorey, No Barriers education director. “This year’s teams designed amazing projects that address challenges in their community. We’re grateful to Wells Fargo for helping make the challenge possible.”
In June 2018, 20 middle and high school educators across the U.S. participated in a three-day training program. Following the training, the educators recruited diverse teams of students with and without disabilities. The teams followed an online curriculum designed to foster creativity and develop projects to address local diversity, accessibility and inclusion challenges.
The two first-place teams were awarded $5,000 to implement their projects and received an invitation to present their projects at the upcoming 2019 No Barriers Summit June 13–15 in Lake Tahoe, California:
- Scarsdale High School, Scarsdale, NY – A team of seven students led by teacher Brian McDonald focused on creating adaptive clothing items that are easily accessible, functional and comfortable for children with disabilities.
- State of Connecticut, Windsor, CT – A team of five students led by teacher Dennis Gallant focused on making popular destinations, such as zoos and museums, more accessible for people who are blind or have low vision.
The two runner-up teams were awarded $1,000 to implement their projects:
- Carrboro High School, Carrboro, NC – A team of nine students led by teacher Melissa Barry focused on sharing their authentic, diversity and inclusion experiences in a series of videos, presented in a documentary film festival, to bring the community together.
- Greensboro Day School, Greensboro, NC – A team of 16 students led by teacher Angela Ballou focused on creating a buddy system that pairs middle school students of differing abilities to better understand one another and foster a more inclusive community.
“We’re continually amazed at the enthusiasm and creativity the teachers and students bring to the Challenge,” said Kathy Martinez, head of Disability and Accessibility Strategy at Wells Fargo. “With innovative ideas like these, the possibilities are endless for creating a more diverse and inclusive society for all.”
View a video about the 2018 Global Impact Challenge Winners and to see the student reactions: https://youtu.be/bzFmilG4YoY (5 minutes)
Calling for applicants for the 2019 Global Impact Challenge
No Barriers and Wells Fargo are seeking 20 educators who serve middle or high school students from across the U.S. to participate in the 2019 Global Impact Challenge. Application deadline is April 1, 2019.
