Overview and Relevance
The Childtech 2025 Challenge, a social and technological innovation competition, is on the lookout for groundbreaking ideas to close educational disparities. This initiative, driven by United Way Colombia, Impactus Ventures, and Nogales+, serves as a bridge connecting startups and non-profit organizations to foster socially impactful innovation.
According to the initiative’s statement, this endeavor unites efforts to tackle critical challenges in vulnerable communities across Latin America. By collaborating with entrepreneurs and organizations, the goal is to implement technology-based solutions that significantly improve the lives of thousands of children, young people, educators, and families, creating real and sustainable change.
This Year’s Focus
The 2025 edition targets technological educational solutions to address three key challenges in secondary schools and educational centers within vulnerable communities of Colombia and Central America:
- Strategically integrating generative AI in primary and secondary education, with a focus on teacher training and enhancing student learning.
- Shifting from consumption to creation: Encouraging adolescents to explore, learn, and apply generative AI in their present and future.
- Innovating English language teaching for the future.
Call for Participation and Rewards
The Childtech 2025 Challenge will select one solution per challenge, and winners will have the opportunity to implement their innovations in Colombian and Central American schools and educational centers.
Implementation will be carried out in partnership with social impact and education organizations, such as CAFAM, Alianza Educativa, and Cultivarte from Fundación Bolívar Davivienda. This collaboration ensures substantial reach and sustainable impact on children and youth.
Winning initiatives will receive a $16,500 implementation contract, a $6,200 scholarship for a strategic strengthening program, and the possibility of investment from United Way Colombia.
Interested parties can submit their proposals at www.impactus.ventures/childtech2025 by April 24, 2025.
Past Success Stories
Previous winners, including Storybook, Beereaders, BraveUp, Matific, and Crack the Code, have successfully expanded their offerings, enriched their value propositions, established strategic partnerships, and generated significant impact in the region due to their participation in the competition.
Key Questions and Answers
- What is the Childtech 2025 Challenge? It’s a competition seeking innovative technological solutions to address educational disparities in vulnerable communities of Colombia and Central America.
- Who’s behind this initiative? United Way Colombia, Impactus Ventures, and Nogales+ are driving this effort to foster socially impactful innovation.
- What are the main challenges this year? The focus is on strategically integrating generative AI in education, shifting adolescents from consumption to creation using AI, and innovating English language teaching for the future.
- What do winners receive? Winning initiatives get a $16,500 implementation contract, a $6,200 scholarship for strategic strengthening, and potential investment from United Way Colombia.
- How can I participate? Interested parties should submit their proposals at www.impactus.ventures/childtech2025 by April 24, 2025.
