Conrad Challenge STEM Innovation Registration Is Open

HOUSTON, TX – August 25, 2021 – Registration has officially opened for the 2021-2022 season of the Conrad Challenge, one of the most highly regarded global STEM competitions for high school students. The ideal platform for students as they continue navigating an evolving learning environment, this year’s competition has implemented new tools and resources to provide a seamless, engaging and rewarding experience for all participants. Registration will remain open until Friday, November 5, 2021 at 11:59 P.M. EST, when all registered teams must submit the requirements for Round 1: The Investor Pitch.  

“In an educational and professional environment different than anything the world has seen before, it is even more imperative that we ensure the future workforce is equipped with the resources necessary to thrive,” said Nancy Conrad, founder and chair of the Conrad Foundation. “That’s what we do at the Conrad Challenge. We provide a launchpad for the next generation of innovators and entrepreneurs to design a more sustainable future for us all.”  

To do just that, this year the Conrad Challenge (the Challenge) has integrated CanopyLAB to provide participants with step-by-step instructions and additional resources to guide the competition experience. Developed to engage and complement the team’s research and work, the interactive platform will allow participants direct access to a network of subject matter experts, educators, fellow participants and Challenge alumni as they work through the competition steps.   

“Our ultimate goal is that our participants learn to measure success in terms of their collaboration, creativity, and commitment to designing the future,” said Conrad. “The tools we’ve implemented this season will allow students to collaborate, without social or geographic borders.”   

The flagship program of the Conrad Foundation, the Challenge was created by Nancy Conrad to honor the legacy of her late husband, Charles ‘Pete’ Conrad, an explorer, an entrepreneur and the third man to walk on the Moon. The annual competition invites students between the ages of 13-18 from around the world to form teams of 2-5 and develop innovative solutions to global challenges. Along the way, highly qualified coaches and judges from business, industry, research and academia provide invaluable feedback and support for their ideas. As a result, thousands of students are prepared to succeed in college and the global workplace.   

With the Conrad Challenge’s continued focus on sustainability, students will address global challenges in any of these five categories:  

• Aerospace & Aviation 

• Cyber-Technology & Security

• Energy & Environment

• Health & Nutrition

• Re-purposed Farmlands & Alternative uses of Tobacco, presented by the Foundation for a Smoke-Free World

Between now and November 5, students will register their teams for the Challenge and develop the initial concepts for the innovations to submit for Round 1. All teams who submit a viable concept will be invited to advance to Round 2 of the competition to develop comprehensive Business Plans for their innovations.   

The competition will culminate at Round 3: Virtual Finals & Innovation Summit, where the top Finalist teams in each category gather to present their innovations before panels of esteemed judges, competing for a variety of prizes and awards including the title of Pete Conrad Scholar, the Challenge’s top honor. Throughout the event, students, educators, Challenge alumni, subject matter experts, judges and corporate sponsors alike can interact as well as attend the opening and awards ceremonies. Due to the ongoing effects of the COVID-19 pandemic, the Foundation will release more information during the season on the format for this year’s Innovation Summit.  

Teams interested in participating this season should visit the registration page and 2021-2022 Conrad Challenge overview for more information on this year’s competition.  

 About the Conrad Foundation 

The Conrad Foundation is a nonprofit organization dedicated to promoting collaborative, student-centered, real world-relevant learning that fosters innovation and entrepreneurship. Through its programs, the Foundation unleashes students’ potential to create impactful solutions and a sustainable society for generations to come. For more information about the Conrad Foundation, its Challenge, or the 2021-2022 competition, visit www.conradchallenge.org. 

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