‘Tell us your stance’ and win some cash!

The Sault Ste. Marie Innovation Centre (SSMIC) has launched its first local challenge for students in the Algoma region.

The “Remote Learning: Tell Us Your Stance” essay competition is a part of SSMIC’s “Up for the Challenge” project that encourages Algoma residents and businesses to think and compete for innovative solutions to challenges on a local, regional, national, and global level that are compiled on the SSMIC website.

The first local challenge is an essay-style competition that invites students from elementary, high school, and post-secondary schools to pick a position on remote learning – whether they are for or against it. Students should formulate their opinion through their personal experience with remote learning over the course of the pandemic using external research to support their position. Participants are welcome to draw conclusions on how remote learning may affect students and society over time and are also encouraged to suggest innovations that could improve the state of remote learning.

The Sault Ste. Marie Innovation Centre is sponsoring this challenge, awarding prizes to two entries at each level – one for remote learning and one against.

The following cash rewards will be awarded:

• Elementary School: $100 to the selected ‘For’ winner, $100 to the selected ‘Against’ winner
• Secondary School: $200 to the selected ‘For’ winner, $200 to the selected ‘Against’ winner
• Post-Secondary School: $400 to the selected ‘For’ winner, $400 to the selected ‘Against’ winner

In addition, winning entries will be featured on the SSMIC website, social media accounts, and in the SSMIC newsletter.

“We wanted to run a challenge like this to get the youth in our community thinking in innovative ways, while also providing a platform that would allow students to voice their opinions about something that affects them now or in the future,” says SSMIC Executive Director Peter Bruijns.

The challenge opens on April 7th, 2021 and submissions will be accepted until May 7th, 2021.

To review the full submission requirements and how to enter the challenge, please visit www.ssmic.com/up-for-the-challenge

This Media Release