Young minds can teach us so much about the world in which we live and help us develop ideas and solutions that launch society forward. This year, Inner Strength had the honor and privilege of launching the first XPRIZE Connect program in Philadelphia.
Our groundbreaking program provided a cohort of high school students with a unique opportunity to contribute to solving global challenges while enhancing their understanding of Inner Strength principles. These students had the chance to refine their skills in paradigm shifting, stakeholder analysis and large-scale problem-solving. The two teams ultimately focused on identifying breakthroughs in Renewable Energy and Water Pollution Management.
On May 25th, seven exceptional students from Bodine, Carver, Central, and Freire High Schools completed their Inner Strength Education internship with XPRIZE Connect by pitching their final projects in front of a panel of distinguished judges and audience of family, friends, and mentors.
In this innovative Inner Strength program, the students worked with mindfulness tools for self development and creative thinking, systems theory and philosophy of mind. They practiced overcoming self-doubt as well as perspective taking and learning new ways of seeing the world. They learned about 6 hats and stakeholder analysis as well as logical large-scale solution design to outline a step-change challenge to solve a significant global problem.
“Inner Strength’s program with XPRIZE Connect is more than just a program; it’s a catalyst for the next generation of thinkers and problem-solvers. Watching these young participants tackle complex global challenges with such dedication and ingenuity reaffirms my belief in the power of youth-driven innovation,” said Frantz E. Alphonse, a competition judge and Co-Founder & Sr. Managing Director of Project Black at Ariel Alternatives, LLC, and an Executive Fellow at Harvard Business School.
Throughout the paid internship, student participants engaged in group exploration and mindfulness practices, which played a crucial role in enhancing their ability to approach complex challenges with innovative thinking, clarity, and resilience. These practices fostered a calm, open-minded, and focused mindset. By integrating mindfulness with creative problem-solving techniques, the students were better equipped to analyze stakeholder perspectives and develop effective solutions. The approach underscored the importance of combining emotional intelligence with critical thinking skills in education.
The two teams had amazing presentations and impressed all the attendees with their teamwork, idea development, and grasp of the scope of the problem statements. Congratulations to the Clean Our Water team for their success.
For their incredible work, graduates were recognized with completion certificates signed by the CEO of XPRIZE, Anousheh Ansari.
With minds like these and training from Inner Strength to be kind and aware as well as visionary, the future is looking a lot brighter.
Watch our students at the Pitch Day here.
