This challenge is open to all current Humber students, prospective Humber students, and students from our global partner institutions worldwide!
If you have applied (or are planning to apply) to Humber for Fall 2021 or Winter 2022, or you are a student from one of our global partner institutions, you are eligible to join the challenge.
Yes! Everyone will apply as an individual and be matched with a team through our selection process.
No, we will be creating teams based on what challenge you choose and your application information to keep the teams fair.
You’ll be paired with Humber staff, faculty and/or industry partners who have received specific training for the challenge and are looking forward to meeting you!
As a team you will be given a six-week guidebook to support your learning journey throughout the experience. There will be mini-challenges, workshops and a final deliverable, which are all required to complete the full challenge.
In the final weeks of the challenge, you will have two deliverables: an individual reflection and a team presentation. Both are required to complete the finish the experience and will be present to the Expert Panel for judging as a package.
More structured details will be available in your guidebook which will be available prior to the start of the challenge. Impress us with your depth of research, learning journey and personal reflection, as well as your ability to see connections, gaps, and potential changes that could positively impact your chosen research question!
Yes, your submissions will be shared through a digital platform and on the Global Systems Gap Challenge website. This is great profile for your professional portfolio!
Video submissions should be no longer than 5 minutes; and written submissions should be no longer than 500 words.
Click here to read the full competition terms and conditions.
No, but all members need to have contributed to the content and design.
Your submission can take the form of a video, presentation, infographic, online gallery, digital flipbook and more! Use your creativity and ensure it is on a common platform for sharing with the Expert Panel.
All participants of the Global Systems Gap Challenge will receive a Certificate of Participation from Humber, in partnership with the City of Toronto. In addition, prizes will be awarded to the top two teams in each theme, judged by our expert panel:
A Humber Prize Pack valued at $500 (CAD) and feature on the Humber Global Challenge website for all winning participants.
Our esteemed 2021 Expert Panel will be announced soon, and bring together industry leaders and experts from aligned sectors to evaluate the final submissions and choose the top teams.
Any Humber staff or faculty member, as well as identified industry partners and staff or faculty from global academic partner, can volunteer to be a mentor in the Beyond COVID-19: Global Systems Gap Challenge. For this challenge, you will be assigned with a second Humber mentor, and assigned to a student team.
We are especially looking for mentors who have experience working with student teams and guiding learning. Your role is to guide student teams through defined weekly tasks, troubleshoot, and to ensure that groups stay on track. Please ensure that you have the consent of your supervisor/manager to participate.
Yes! All mentors must complete a one-hour virtual training workshop which will run prior to the start of the challenge through Microsoft Teams. If you are unable to join the live workshop, you must complete to watching the training prior to the start of the challenge. In addition, you will receive a training guide and resources.
The total time commitment is ten hours per team over the period of the challenge, with one check in weekly with your group and including the one-hour mentor-training workshop in the week prior to the challenge launch. You will decide with your student team the specific times that you will meet.
If you have a preference, please let us know. Keep in mind that this is also an opportunity to meet staff and faculty at Humber with whom you may not yet have a connection – and build networks and friendships.
As a mentor, you will expand your network at Humber, receive skill training on developing a systems thinking mindset, and foster learning between students from across the globe!
At the start of the challenge you will receive a number of topic choices to choose from within your theme in the form of questions. In collaboration with your team and with guidance from your mentors you will narrow down which question you would like to focus on. Your research question choice will benefit from the collective lived experiences and interests of your team.
The dates for the challenge are May 17 – June 25, 2021. You can see the full schedule here. Some of the workshops have specific times so make sure to block them off in your calendar. All listed times are in the EDT time zone.
The total challenge should take approximately 45 hours. Your team will decide as a group when to meet and work on the weekly activities.
All workshops will begin at 9:00 EDT. The workshops work best when everyone is live! However, you can participate in the challenge if you have a prior commitment. There will be a recording of each workshop available.
No, this does not count as academic credit at Humber. It is a complement to your academic studies and will help you develop the skills you may use in your courses. However, if you are a Humber student, it may count for work placement hours or recognition through the Co-Curricular Record.
This challenge can count for Work Integrated Learning or Placement hours for eligible Humber students! It is important to check with your Placement Coordinator before registering.
Yes! Humber students who are not satisfying work placement hours through this challenge are eligible to receive Co-Curricular Record (CCR) for this challenge.
You will receive an invitation to Microsoft Teams, a free app for receiving messages and resources from the Global System Gap Challenge leads. However, you can decide which social media platform you'd prefer to use to communicate with your team members and Humber mentors. For the challenge live workshops, you'll be sent a link to attend via Microsoft Teams Live Events.
First check your junk mail and if you cannot find the invitation please contact us here with details so that we can assist you.
As a team, you can decide which digital platform you’re most comfortable with using to communicate. For example, Zoom, WhatsApp, Line, WeChat, Facebook Messenger, and more.
Don’t worry! Please contact us here with the names of your teammates and/or mentor(s) so we can assist to connect you.
If you have a question that hasn’t been answered above, please contact us here.