GEC Expectations

Scarsdale High School supports the Sustainable Development Goals

The Challenge

Participants will review SDG 12 of the UN Sustainable Development Goals and be challenged to find opportunities in their local communities to make an impact around these areas by observing, interviewing, or immersing themselves in experiences that present a need. Participants will then ideate, test, and iterate their solutions to create value for their communities and share their projects with the network of schools participating in this challenge.

What are the rules and expectations?

Projects can be done independently or as a part of a team, with the ideal size of 4-6 students.

Participation in any number of teams is acceptable, and two presentation spots will be given per school for the Global Summit.

Teams must be able to attend all Zoom meetings and present at least one team solution at the Global Summit (virtual or in-person).

This challenge's success relies on teams meeting the deadlines and preparing for each Zoom call with the expected deliverables. All teams will be expected to complete the work a week before each Zoom meeting (see below for expected due dates for each activity) and all Vlogs within the timeframe of the submission dates.
- We will provide all required resources for the challenge after commitment and particular meetings.
- We will ask teams to submit their work a week before each meeting to help us create meaningful sessions.
- We will ask teams to submit their video blogs within the submission week given.

About SDG 12

SDG 12 aims to ensure sustainable management and efficient use of natural resources while reducing environmental impact. The goal focuses on creating economic growth without causing environmental degradation and promoting sustainable production patterns that minimize waste, pollution, and resource consumption.

Critical aspects of SDG 12 include:

Efficient Resource Use: Encouraging businesses and industries to adopt sustainable practices and use resources like water, energy, and raw materials more efficiently.

Waste Reduction: Minimizing waste generation through recycling, reusing, and reducing materials in production processes.

Sustainable Lifestyles: Encouraging consumers to adopt more sustainable behaviors, such as choosing products with minimal environmental impact.

Corporate Responsibility: Promoting sustainable practices across industries, ensuring companies minimize their negative impact on the environment.

Sustainable Supply Chains: Encouraging fair and sustainable sourcing of materials, often from regions with rich natural resources.

For more info about SDG 12 or the UN Sustainable Development Goals, click here!

Challenge Due Dates

Project Kickoff!

December 10th, 2024
8:00-9:30 AM EST
(Zoom Call)

Vlog Submission #1

January 13th-17th

Quick Pitch Feedback

February 11th
8:00-9:30 AM EST
(Zoom Call)

Vlog #2

March 10th-14th

Project Progress

and Impact

April 1st, 2025

8:00-9:00 AM EST

(Zoom Call)

Global Summit!

May 20th, 2025
8:00-10:30 AM
(In-Person/ Zoom)

Common Q & A

Below are common questions we get from teachers.

Please feel free to contact Brian McDonald (bmcdonald@scarsdaleschools.org) or Tabitha Sasso (tsasso@scarsdaleschools.org) with any questions or concerns about the challenge, its expectations or anything in general!

General Concerns

Concern: I don't know how to solve an SDG!

Don't worry! We will help you now and along the journey!

Scarsdale offers a college-level Social Entrepreneurship course based on world-leading design thinking practices and lean start-up methodologies. Through continuous improvement year to year, we have consolidated our best resources to help you navigate from discovery to identifying a problem to ideating solutions to implementing them.

We will give you the resources ahead of time. Some resources are optional and can help with tricky parts of the process (they certainly have helped us)! We will also provide an optional Zoom Q&A in between the 2nd and 3rd call to help teachers who have questions!

Concern: I don't know how to start!

This year, we've provided a list of potential starting points that can help jump-start your project. It's optional, and we encourage people to start wherever they want to make an impact!

The list of prompts is here.

Here are a few things to keep in mind:

This list is incomplete. SDG 12 is broad and wide-sweeping. This list aims to grab a few subgoals and identify potential starting points if you need them.

This list may not represent problems you can solve locally. Find what works for you!

This list is a starting point- feel free to build off of or remix them (or not use them at all!)

Q: What makes a successful Entrepreneurship Project?

There are countless ways to reach success, but here are some key indicators that you are on the right track.

Seeks To Make a Lasting Impact

While the challenge takes place over several months, successful projects aim to make an impact that extends beyond the final pitch day.
This means you should avoid solutions that are “one-time events” or community service projects (though you can have projects that involve volunteers).

Starts Local

We all want to solve the world's problems, but the quickest way to make an impact is to start where you are: with the issues that impact your local communities.
Successful projects aim to identify the most pressing issues impacting your community and seek to understand the people they impact.

Implement and Measure The Impact

What separates entrepreneurs from others is their ability to implement their ideas and measure their impact.
Teams aim to Increase community awareness of the needs and capabilities of those affected by the focused inequalities.
Once teams go through the process of identifying problems and ideating solutions, we ask them to put their product or service to the test, deliver it to their intended audience, and assess the impact of their idea.