How Do You Want to Change the World?

Tulane students who aspire to be social entrepreneurs and have a great idea to change New Orleans for the better have a shot at winning $20,000 to make their venture a reality.

Tulane Social Entrepreneurship Initiatives is sponsoring the NewDay Challenge, a competition for social entrepreneurial ventures whose primary goal is to effect social change within the local community. The contest is open to any Tulane student-created or student-led organization, program or venture that benefits the New Orleans community.

Several students give ideas about how they want to change the world in this video produced by Tulane Social Entrepreneurship Initiatives.

"The NewDay Challenge is designed to spur Tulane students to think innovatively and creatively about solving any social challenge," says Stephanie Barksdale, manager of Social Entrepreneurship Initiatives at Tulane.

The deadline to apply is Feb. 1 and applications must be submitted online. To enter, students must submit an executive summary of their venture that is no longer than six pages. Judges will select 10 proposals to compete in the second round in March with the top three finalists going head-to-head in a live presentation on April 16.

Plans will be judged based on social impact, innovation, sustainability and impact on New Orleans.

"The NewDay Challenge will have a local focus, and the judges will be looking for proposals that address some of the most pressing social challenges we are facing in the greater New Orleans area," Barksdale says.

NewDay is partnering with the Tulane Entrepreneurs Association to host a series of information sessions about how to write a business plan and start a new venture. The association is hosting a separate business plan competition for university students across the country.