
Competition rules & guidebooks | Competition timeline | Mapping a system | Research design essentials | Presentation resources | Peer support | Additional resources
This page catalogues important resources for Map the System participants to access throughout the duration of the competition.
Students may take part in Map the System as part of a course or independently. Students who are taking part in Map the System outside of a course are encouraged to take advantage of the non-course syllabus to help guide them through competition milestones.
This page will be updated throughout the competition as resources become available from our Map the System partners. If you are having trouble accessing any of these resources, please email Elham Mohammadi at mapthesystem@uwaterloo.ca for support.
Competition Rules & Guidebooks
- Review the UWaterloo Map the System Workbook for activities to progress your research
- Review Canada's Map the System website to find key information. The Student Resources webpage is especially useful in helping students at all stages of mapping their systems, from systems-thinking context to practical application
- Review the Evaluation Criteria
- View a Centre for Peace Advancement Map the System Information Session (January 2022)
- View a Centre for Peace Advancement Map the System Student Webinar (November 2020) or review slides from the webinar
Competition Timeline
Date | Details |
---|---|
November 15 | Student Registration Opens |
January 31 | UWaterloo Student Registration Deadline |
April 4 | UWaterloo Campus Final Student Submission Deadline |
April 12 | UWaterloo Campus Final |
April | Campus Finalists Selected and Contacted |
April | National Submission Deadline |
May 10-12 | Canadian National Final |
May | Global Finalists Announced |
June | Global Submission Deadline |
June | Global Final |

Systems Mapping Resources
- Review this 12 step "Student Guide to Mapping a System" that will help you and your team walk through the process of mapping a system
- Review the tool, Impact Gaps Canvas created by Daniela Papi-Thornton, designer of Map the System. This exercise will help you understand the landscape of your problem and identify some paths to a solution
Research Design Resources
- View the Research Design Essentials webinar or review the slides from the webinar
Presentation Resources
- Participants are invited to structure their video presentations around the slides in the Map the System Presentation Template
More Print Resources on Systems Thinking
Articles and Guides:
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Leveraging Change: The Power of Systems Thinking in Action | David Peter Stroh
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Systems Thinking: What, Why, When, Where, and How? | Micheal Goodman
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The 6 Fundamental Concepts of Systems Thinkers | Leyla Acaroglu
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Systems One: An Introduction to Systems Thinking | Draper L. Kauffman, Jr.
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Thinking in Systems | Daniela Meadows (Available online)
Books:
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Embracing Complexity | Boulton, J., P. Allen, et al
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Systems Thinking for Social Change | David Peter Stroh (Available online)
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The Systems Thinking Playbook | Linda Booth Sweeney (Available in print)
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Thinking in Systems | Daniela Meadows (Available online)
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The Systems Work of Social Change: How to Harness Connection, Context, and Power to Cultivate Deep and Enduring Change | Cynthia Rayner and François Bonnici
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Getting Beyond Better | Sally Osberg and Roger Martin (Available online - audiobook)
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Net Positive: How Courageous Companies Thrive by Giving More Than They Take Links to an external site.| Paul Polman and Andrew Winston
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The Fifth Discipline | Peter Senge (Available in print)
Contact Map the System Campus Lead, Elham Mohammadi for support throughout the competition at mapthesystem@uwaterloo.ca
Additional Resources
- IDEO’s Human-Centred Design Toolkit
- "Why social ventures need systems thinking" article
- "Reclaiming Social Entrepreneurship" TEDx talk
- 2019 Map the System Student Info Session
Competition rules & guidebooks | Competition timeline | Mapping a system | Research design essentials | Presentation resources | Peer support | Additional resources | Back to top