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Tackling global challenges starts with understanding a problem and its wider context, rather than jumping straight into a business plan or an idea for a quick fix. This competition asks you to select a social or environmental issue and to explore, probe, and research all the connecting elements and factors around it. We want you to present this issue back to us in a way that people can understand, share, and learn from.
You will have the opportunity to make connections with socially-conscious students, researchers and practitioners from within UWaterloo and the wider community.
You could also be selected to participate in the Global Final and compete with teams from across the globe to win cash prizes.
But more importantly, you’ll get the chance to research a real-world problem, learn about organisations working the field, and contribute towards making a real difference in your chosen area.
First Place: $2,000Sponsored by the Kindred Credit Union
Second Place: $1,000Sponsored by the Council for Responsible Innovation and Technology
Third place: $500Sponsored by the Waterloo Institute for Complexity and Innovation
PACS Award: $1,000Sponsored by Owl PracticeFor the top team with a Waterloo Peace and Conflict Studies studentMap the System is open to University of Waterloo undergradute and graduate students, and recent graduates in any faculty who want to learn more about a problem they are passionate about.
Teams can be made up of individuals, or up to five people. At least one team member must be a current student, or recent graduate (within 12 months).
By the submission deadline, your team will need to submit (1) a visual map, (2) a written summary of your research, and (3) a bibliography. Teams selected for the campus finals will need to provide a video presentation (4). Learn more about submission requirements here.
Students participating in the 2021 competition through the University of Waterloo must submit their projects by April 9th, 2021 at 4:00 PM EST through the Final Submission Form. See Student Resources for more information regarding this year's campus finals and submission process. Contact Thomas Fraser with further questions.
| Date | Details |
|---|---|
| November 2, 2020 | Student Registration Opens |
| February 7, 2021 | UWaterloo Student Registration Deadline* |
| April 9, 2021 | UWaterloo Final Student Submission Deadline* |
| April 12, 2021 | Campus Finalists Selected and Contacted* |
| April 14, 2021 | Campus Finalist Video Submission Deadline* |
| April 15, 2021 | UWaterloo Campus Finals* |
| April 25, 2021 | National Submission Deadline |
| May 5-7, 2021 | Virtual Canadian Finals |
| May 24, 2021 | Global Submission Deadline |
| June 9-11, 2021 | Global Virtual Finals |
* indicates a date specific to participants through the University of Waterloo that may be different from other Canadian universities.
The UWaterloo Map the System team competed at both the Canadian Finals and Global Finals in 2020! Team members Kaitlin Webber, Sam Petrie, and Emma McDougall focused their research on transit-induced gentrification in the Light Rail Train (LRT) Corridor in Waterloo Region.
Read the reflection on the Map the System campus finals.
Learn more about the team's experience as one of the top 6 finalists at the Canadian finals. Watch the team's Canadian Finals video submission. View the Map the System Canada Finalists Showcase (PDF), which features each team's systems map.
Learn more about the Global Finals Showcase. Watch the team's Global Finals video submission.
View the team's completed systems map (PDF) , written submission (PDF) , and bibliography (PDF).
The 2019 UWaterloo Map the System campus winners went on to compete at the Canadian Finals at Ryerson University. The team, Stefan Hogg and Nicolas Werschler, focused on the challenge of food insecurity in Northern Ontario. While they did not advance past the Canadian Finals, their experience as the first ever UWaterloo team in Map the System was incredibly valuable and encouraged dozens of student teams to participate in the challenge in 2020.
Learn more about the 2019 campus finals.
Email Centre Coordinator Emily Charron.
Stay informed about this opportunity
Map the System is an initiative of the Skoll Centre for Social Entrepreneurship at Saïd Business School, University of Oxford, in partnership with educational institutions across the world.
