Get Involved with Global Citizens!
The world needs more problem solvers who can work on common solutions across borders. Join hands with us and together, we can make the world a better place, one step at a time.
Welcome to the Global Citizenship Virtual Ideathon 2021! After the success of our Ideathons in 2020, this year we're back bigger and better with the theme of “Putting Global Citizenship into Practice”. Join forces with other changemakers to formulate ideas and solutions that focus on realizing the potential of Global Citizenship through practical implementation and grassroots action!
The Global Citizenship Virtual Ideathon 2021 is a 72-hour Ideation marathon in which participants from around the world will work together in interdisciplinary teams to develop creative and practical initiatives that contribute to solving pressing issues while applying a global mindset. Guided by moderators and mentors, participants create teams based on the ideas they propose. At the end of the 72 hours, the teams present their solution ideas in a showcase.
Global Citizenship can be shortly described as care of the world and of each other. As an overarching concept, Global Citizenship promotes the idea that all humans are equal and when working together across boundaries of place and identity are able to solve the challenges we face in our interconnected world. But how do we do this in practice? With your support and active participation, we can’t wait to find out!
We are looking for ideas to ground the concept and make it accessible for everybody.
As part of our Global Citizenship Week 2021, our Virtual Ideathon seeks to bring together active and passionate youth from around the world and provides a platform for them to connect, network, and work together.
The Global Citizenship Virtual Ideathon is open to all 18 – 35-year-old passionate changemakers – high school seniors, students, young professionals from around the world. What are we seeking in the ideal participant?
There are also exciting cash prizes, mentorship opportunities, and more, waiting for the winners of the Ideathon! Prizes are as follows:
Over the course of 72-hours, you will form interdisciplinary teams with peers from across the globe in order to work together on creative and practical global citizenship ideas that contribute to solving pressing issues. Below is what the schedule of scheduled activities looks like, to help you pace your own work throughout this ideation marathon. Brace for action!
All times below are indicated using GMT (Greenwich Main Time). To convert GMT to your local time, you may want to use a timezone converter like this one.
TownHall: How to put Global Citizenship into Practice
How do we translate Global Citizenship into practice? How do we ground this concept so it is easily communicable and serves as a guide for action? How do we foster a culture of collaboration, mutual understanding, and a sense of belonging to a global community? These and other questions are what four distinguished panelists will tackle as we're exploring practicable and effective means to enact Global Citizenship.
This TownHall panel is part of the Melton Foundation's "Global Citizenship Week 2021 - Putting Global Citizenship into Practice".
Time: Apr 22, 2021 01:00 PM in Greenwich Mean Time
Platform: Zoom
Duration: 90 Minutes
Be there on time, we're moving to a different platform during the session ;)
Platform: Wonder.me
Duration: 60 Minutes
Platform: Zoom
Duration: 60 Minutes
very similar to Team Building Activity (A)
Platform: Zoom
Duration: 60 Minutes
All teams are officially confirmed and the ideation phase starts!
Only participants who form part of a team can continue.
A socializing space for participants to meet each other and cross-pollinate ideas with designated organizers and mentors! A space for networking!
Platform: Wonder.me
Duration: 60 Minutes
Pro-bono mentorship is available to participants by our expert mentors on topics such as idea formulation, design thinking, system thinking, pitching, and so on.
Platform: Zoom
Duration: 60 Minutes
Pro-bono mentorship is available to participants by our expert mentors on topics such as idea formulation, design thinking, system thinking, pitching, and so on.
Platform: Zoom
Duration: 60 Minutes
Pro-bono mentorship is available to participants by our expert mentors on topics such as idea formulation, design thinking, system thinking, pitching, and so on.
Platform: Zoom
Duration: 60 Minutes
Pro-bono mentorship is available to participants by our expert mentors on topics such as idea formulation, design thinking, system thinking, pitching, and so on.
Platform: Zoom
Duration: 60 Minutes
Participants submit 2-min video pitches & submission forms, presenting the idea they have developed together in their team(s).
Platform: Zoom
Duration: 60 Minutes
Closure of the #GCIdeathon2021 to recognize the finalists and showcase the winning ideas!
Feature keynote speaker KWABENA TWUMASI ANKRAH (Co-Founder, Divergent) will set the tone with a compassionate impulse on The Unknown of Fear.
Platform: Zoom
Duration: 60 Minutes
Throughout the Ideathon, participants and mentors will be using various online tools for communication, ideation, and presentations. Once you sign up, please familiarize yourself with the below tools. They're simple and easy-to-use and accessible everywhere in the world!
Judges of the Ideathons evaluate the resulting solution-ideas, provide feedback and decide our Ideathon winners!
Meet Patricija Virtič
Head of Global Education at SLOGA and Bridge 47 Representative
Read BioMeet Dr. Steffen Bethmann
Executive Director, Melton Foundation
Read BioMeet Ediola Pashollari
Secretary-General - World Assembly of Youth (WAY)
Read BioMeet Ana Carolina (Carol) Cassiano
Head of Education Development, AFS Intercultural Programs
Read BioHead of Global Education at SLOGA and Bridge 47 Representative
Patricija Virtič is the Head of Global Education at SLOGA and a Bridge 47 Representative. Bridge 47 was created to mobilize civil society from all around the world to contribute to a transformation towards global justice and eradication of poverty through Global Citizenship Education. SLOGA Platform is the Slovene national NGOs platform for development, global education, and humanitarian aid, where Patricija has developed and managed several projects funded by the EU, Slovene government, and private funds, focusing on Global Citizenship Education, Awareness Raising, Development Cooperation, and numerous other areas. She is a co-author of various publications and has developed, implemented, and spoken at several national and international events. She believes anyone can change the world!
Executive Director, Melton Foundation
Steffen Bethmann
Executive Director
The Melton Foundation
Temuco, Chile
Secretary-General - World Assembly of Youth (WAY)
An Albanian by nationality, Ediola Pashollari holds a Master’s Degree in Business Administration (UK); a Master’s Degree of Arts in Political Science (UK), a Master’s Degree in Entreprenology (USA), and also a Degree in LLB (UK). Presently, she is the Secretary-General of the World Assembly of Youth (WAY) which is headquartered in Melaka, Malaysia. Through her capacity as the Secretary-General of WAY and the Director of the World Youth Institute (WYI), she has been instrumental in assisting and supporting various youth initiatives, events, and activities at local, regional, and international levels. Her heart’s desire is to see that the youth around the world are prepared to face the many changing challenges that are occurring globally, and educate them on achieving a sustainable future!
Head of Education Development, AFS Intercultural Programs
Ana Carolina (Carol) Cassiano is the Head of Education Development, AFS Intercultural Programs. AFS Intercultural Programs is an international youth exchange organization. It consists of over 50 independent, not-for-profit organizations, each with its own network of volunteers, professionally staffed offices, volunteer board of directors.
Mentors of the Ideathon work with teams and provide guidance, advice, and suggestions on the solution ideas, are actively engaged in feedback loops, and participate in Mentor Hours!
Meet Radhika Saralaya
Product Design and Innovation
Read BioMeet Vigneshwar Shankar
Corporate Strategy and Consulting
Read BioMeet Divya Tyam
Hands-on Technologist at Google AI
Read BioMeet Victor Valenzuela
Engineering and Entrepreneurial Consulting
Read BioMeet Steffen Bethmann
Social Sciences and Non-Profit Leadership
Read BioMeet Pearl Gemegah
IT and Customer Experience Management
Read BioMeet Ranjini Rao HS
Mahatma Gandhi National Fellow, India
Read BioMeet Ashitha Nayak
Strategic Communications Expert and Storyteller
Read BioProduct Design and Innovation
Radhika Saralaya is an experienced product leader whose multidisciplinary and multicultural skills provide her with a unique perspective when developing strategies for organizational success. Radhika joined Royal Bank of Canada (RBC) in 2014 and currently is following her passion for innovation and product design by leading their digital lending portfolio for Automotive finance. Prior to joining RBC, she was an electrical engineer working with the Oil and Gas industry in Bahrain, with a focus on design engineering, cost reduction and business development. She has also been closely involved with not-for-profit organizations for over 7 years and has worked as a management consultant for social enterprises in Canada. Radhika also has an MBA from Rotman, UofT.
Corporate Strategy and Consulting
A Senior Fellow of the Melton Foundation and a member of the Melton Foundation Grant Committee with experience in Consulting, Corporate Strategy, and Performance Management in Financial Services.
Hands-on Technologist at Google AI
Divya is a hands-on technologist at Google AI, with a desire to transform humankind using artificial intelligence, with a special focus on Vision and Fairness in AI. She is a 2003 BMS Senior Fellow. As a mentor, she can advise on inter-disciplinary thinking and quick prototyping.
Engineering and Entrepreneurial Consulting
Victor is an Industrial Engineer with a minor in computer science focused on Tech Innovation & Entrepreneurship. He has more than 10 years of experience in the field, focused on consulting, advising and mentoring innovative (tech and social) entrepreneurs and companies. Throughout his career, he has mentored/incubated/accelerated more than 50 startups of a diverse background and has carried out a wide variety of consultancy services and workshops for entrepreneurs, students and CEO’s to generate more sustainable and innovative business models, as well as rise funding and public/private investment.
Social Sciences and Non-Profit Leadership
Steffen is a Global Citizenship Enthusiast with a strong academic background in Innovation Studies and Nonprofit Management. Steffen is of German nationality and has lived in Chile for 4 years now!
IT and Customer Experience Management
Pearl is a lover of design, technology, problem-solving who loves to make new friends across cultures, disciplines, and interests! In her own words, “I believe the world will become a better place when most people try to make a difference and i believe that design has the ability to empower anyone to discover and create amazing innovative solutions to most of the worlds issues. Hence my love for mentoring people and guiding them to solution discovery using design principles.”
Mahatma Gandhi National Fellow, India
Ranjini is a computer science graduate who is passionate about using tech to catalyse social development processes. She is currently working as a fellow in Skill development with the Government of India and hopes to create a robust skilling ecosystem through grassroots level policy making.
Strategic Communications Expert and Storyteller
Ashitha Nayak is part of the Melton Foundation as head of strategic communications. She has also built a storytelling-for-change blog ground-up and has a background in information science engineering and media studies.
What is a Virtual Ideathon?
An Ideathon is a marathon event designed in the same fashion as a hackathon. It is meant for participants to brainstorm and come up with coherent solution ideas on a given theme and compete to win, all while engaging with individuals from different areas, professions, and disciplines! A Virtual Ideathon is an Ideathon that takes place on an online platform, connecting all participants using tools that facilitate remote collaboration.
How do I participate? Should I pay fees in order to register?
We do not charge any fees for participation/registration. We firmly believe in increasing accessibility of resources to people from all socio-economic backgrounds, and stand for inclusivity, diversity, and equity.
If you relate to our organization’s vision and mission and would like to lend a hand, you can support us by making a small donation at meltonfoundation.org/donate.
When is the Ideathon scheduled for?
The Ideathon is scheduled to take place on the 22nd, 23rd, and 24th of April 2021, with the closing session slated for 25th April 2021.
Is the participation on an individual basis, or do I need to form teams?
Registration to the Ideathon happens on an individual basis. Once you have registered, on the first day, you will be asked to form an interdisciplinary team with the other registrants. The idea is to facilitate collaboration, cross-functional teamwork, and build strong communication skills.
How are teams formed?
The teams form in the early hours of the Ideathon (see ‘schedule’ section to learn more). The organizers will publish a list of participants and their skills. The participants will then be invited to join using the Slack platform, using pre-established channels based on issues and ideas. The participants will proceed to their corresponding groups. Ideally, teams should be interdisciplinary to encourage diversity of perspectives during the process. Participants must choose a definitive team to work with by the end of Day 1.
How do I prepare myself for the event?
More than anything, we ask that you bring your motivation to the event! Additionally, you can familiarize yourself with tools like Slack, Zoom, Gmail, video editing, graphic design, and YouTube among other online collaboration tools.
What kind of solution ideas are developed during the Ideathon?
Participants are welcome to ideate anything from digital to physical products, services, movements, art projects, therapeutic products, anything that creates value to communities while keeping in mind the theme of the Ideathon: Putting Global Citizenship to Practice. At the end of the ideation marathon, you will present the solution idea in a 2min video pitch.
What happens to the solution-ideas post the event?
All solutions built during the Ideathon will be documented, so anyone can move the idea up further by continuing the collaboration. Participants can implement the solution as part of our #100Acts of Global Citizenship or continue to tackle it together in a project team. The best ideas to come out of the Ideathon will be showcased on our blogs, website, and social media channels as part of the winning package.
Who chooses the winners? When will the results be announced?
A panel of judges will be in charge of evaluating the projects. Independent judges will rate the projects by the following criteria
Results will be declared in the weeks after the Ideathon based on a popular poll and judges’ evaluation.
The world needs more problem solvers who can work on common solutions across borders. Join hands with us and together, we can make the world a better place, one step at a time.