The university’s 2026 Social Impact challenge is bringing students together for seven weeks to develop solutions to real-world community problems.
Launched in early September, the Social Impact Challenge is an annual pitch competition where students can team up or work independently to address community problems. Instead of pitching their own ideas, students are given a list of local issues such as housing shortages, food insecurity, healthcare and mental health, and are then challenged to develop solutions.
Mike Stefancic, director of student success for the public service unit, said the challenge is not just about creating a business, but developing solutions students can use in the community.
“This is our fourth year, and we’ve evolved it into an entry point for students to tackle real community challenges-not just business models,” Stefancic said.
The winning project can receive up to $3,000 with $1,500 awarded initially and another $1,500 available after the project meets milestones. The prize money is funded by the Student Philanthropy Board and the Office of Community Engagement.
Beyond the funding, Stefancic said students can receive coaching and mentorship through Venture College’s incubator program and may have the opportunity to pitch at the Idaho Entrepreneurship Challenge.
Even though there’s only one winner, ideas of other participants still continue to grow.
“There’s one official winner, but many students keep-going and some projects get picked up by nonprofits or continue with new partners,” Stefancic said.
Colby Bond, a political science student with an emphasis in American government and public policy, participated in the challenge last year and continued working with his community partner even after his project did not win. His team proposed an AI tool designed to connect nonprofits with similar missions and needs to help organizations coordinate resources.
For Bond, connecting with organizations outside the university was one of the most valuable parts of participating in the event.
“Being able to connect with community partners is a huge deal,” Bond said. He said the challenge also gave him opportunities to test his ability to problem-solve and understand how communities function.
Throughout the seven weeks, students work through design thinking, meet with mentors and community partners, research their issues, consider funding and eventually build a pitch, according to Boise State.
Stefancic said the challenge connects students with community partners to better understand the problems they are trying to solve.
“During the seven weeks, we meet once a week on Fridays. [The students] engage with communities, and see different perspectives. At the end, they pitch for five minutes in front of an audience,” Stefancic said.
According to the Social Impact Challenge’s judging criteria, students’ solutions are evaluated on feasibility, sustainability, their understanding of the community and systems involved and their potential impact in Idaho.
In Boise, challenge participants have worked with many organizations, including NAMI, The Idaho Foodbank, the campus food pantry, Full Circle Health, Idaho Partners for Good as well as colleges within Boise State that provide community support.
Bond first learned about the challenge through an email and initially planned to participate for course credit. He ultimately did not end up taking the course for credit, but said the experience led to mentorship and more opportunities with Idaho Partners for Good.
“I firmly believe that we, as the youth, can fix these problems through coordination, through engagement,” Bond said. “The more we step up, the more that we show we’re capable. I believe that we can find these solutions.”
