The summer holidays are fully underway! But while school children and university students are enjoying some time off until next classes begin afresh in September, we’re only just getting started!
On July 9th and 16th, a collection of Armenia’s best and brightest are coming together to innovate the country’s educational experience!
Kolba Lab, supported by the EU, is teaming up with Armenia Start-Up Cup for Armenia’s largest start-up event of the year devoted to education: the 2017 Armenia StartUp Cup National Challenge.
What’s more, the event is hosted by none other than Armenia’s premier innovative educational institution, the TUMO Center for Creative Technologies.
Whether creating a business that provides education to children in hard to reach areas, building a new app that allows peer-to-peer learning across continents, or creating a shortcut in the communication between schools and policymakers — the next two Sundays will see over 200 change-makers turn their ideas into working products.
And for the first time ever, public servants are joining in on the fun! One month ago, public servants from the Ministry of Education, the National Institute for Education and others took part in a pop-up innovation lab hosted at their Ministry. Now, working side-by-side with some of Armenia’s most innovative citizens, they’ll be getting their hands dirty and applying their own innovative solutions to improve education for all.
How will it work?
Part 1: July 9th — Educational Social Enterprises
- Only business ideas
- 30 idea groups from citizens
- Mentors from the business world
- Best 10 ideas will take part in a final pitching session on July 16th
Part 2: July 16th — Education start-up ideas (non-business)
- Non-commercial project ideas
- 18 ideas groups from citizens & 26 idea groups from government
- Mentors from the education and social sector, IT solutions, and business
- Idea teams from government and from citizens (including the best 10 business ideas from session on 9th) will take part in a joint pitching session that will conclude the event.
What happen’s next?
The best ideas will receive seed funding and further mentoring support. Prizes will be awarded to the:
- 3–4 best ideas from citizens
- 3 best ideas from public servants
The event is part of the #Inno4dev: Innovation for Development project, which is funded by the European Union
