Tackle a real problem. Pitch a real solution.
The Innovation Challenge is the hands-on heart of TYSIC, and this year it runs in two streams. Prepare a solution in advance, or take on the new Day-of Challenge - written by our Challenge Partner, Urban Minds, and revealed on the morning of the conference. No experience required, just curiosity.
Registering on Eventbrite is only step one.
Every attendee also has to complete the confirmation form by , one week before the conference. It confirms your team and which stream you are competing in, and it is what your judging slot is built from.
Two streams. Every attendee competes.
The Innovation Challenge gives every student the opportunity to apply STEM, not just hear about it. Everyone who comes to TYSIC takes part, working in a team of 2–4 to develop and pitch a solution to a real-world problem. The only question is which stream you are in.
Build it beforehand, or build it on the day.
Both streams end the same way: a team, an idea, and a panel of judges. What changes is when the clock starts.
The Pre-Event Challenge
The challenge TYSIC has run for a decade. Teams get their prompt roughly a month ahead, build their answer to it at home, and present finished work on the day.
- The prompt is live: UN Sustainable Development Goal 11, Sustainable Cities and Communities, released September 15, 2026 with 3 categories to choose between.
- Teams research, design, and build in their own time - a prototype, a model, a plan, whatever the idea calls for.
- Pick this stream on the confirmation form by October 9, 2026, then bring whatever you need to present: slides, a poster, the prototype itself.
- Present the finished solution to a panel of judges at the conference.
The Day-of Challenge
Nothing to prepare. Just show up. The prompt is revealed on the morning of the conference by our Challenge Partner, Urban Minds, and it comes from a real project they are delivering in Toronto.
Challenge Partner- No preparation and no prior experience. Every attendee who is not in the pre-event stream takes part automatically.
- The prompt lands on the morning of October 16, 2026 and not a day sooner, so every team starts from the same line.
- Teams of 2–4 work through the day, with Urban Minds and TYSIC mentors circulating as you go.
- Pitch in the afternoon to a panel that includes Urban Minds.
The Pre-Event Challenge prompt is out.
This year's prompt is built on UN Sustainable Development Goal 11: Sustainable Cities and Communities - making cities and human settlements inclusive, safe, resilient and sustainable. Pick one of the 3 categories below, define a problem inside it, and build your answer before October 16, 2026.
- 1
Housing, Transport & Urban Planning
Adequate, affordable housing and basic services, transport that is safe and accessible to everyone, and planning people actually get a say in.
- 2
Heritage, Environment & Public Space
Cultural and natural heritage, the environmental footprint of cities including air quality and waste, and green and public space open to all.
- 3
Resilience & Regional Development
Disaster risk and recovery, stronger links between urban, peri-urban and rural areas, and city policies for inclusion, efficiency and climate adaptation.
The full prompt, the SDG 11 targets behind each category, and how to choose your focus.
Your idea doesn't stop at the pitch.
Urban Minds is a Toronto non-profit that helps young people shape the city they will inherit. Through programs like 1UP Youth City Builders, they put young people in the rooms where decisions about Toronto actually get made. For our tenth anniversary, they are assisting with the Day-of Challenge.
Which means the problem you work on is not a classroom exercise. The strongest thinking from the room will directly inform youth engagement work Urban Minds is delivering with The Atmospheric Fund - a real organization, on a live Toronto project, with real decisions still to be made.
They set the challenge
The prompt comes straight out of Urban Minds' own city-building work in Toronto, so the problem is live rather than hypothetical.
They open the morning
An Urban Minds representative introduces the challenge in person - the context, the stakeholders, and why it matters in this city right now.
They are in the room all day
Their team is on site for the full conference, circulating as students research, argue, and build.
They help judge
Urban Minds joins the judging panel and helps decide which ideas carry through to the finals.
Four steps, from team to pitch.
Form your team
Participate with friends or request help finding teammates. Every team must have 2–4 students.
Choose your stream
Confirm your stream on the confirmation form by October 9, 2026. Pre-event teams already have their challenge - released September 15, 2026, on SDG 11 - and prepare their solution in advance. Day-of teams receive their challenge from Urban Minds on the morning of October 16, 2026 and develop their solution during the conference. Students who do not choose the pre-event challenge automatically join the day-of challenge.
Build your solution
Research, brainstorm, and develop your idea using the resources available to you. AI tools and internet access are permitted to reflect real-world problem-solving conditions. A prototype may be included where appropriate but is not automatically required.
Pitch to the judges
Present your solution in 4–5 minutes to a panel of judges, followed by a 1–2 minute question-and-answer period. Every team pitches, in both streams.
What happens when.
The Pre-Event prompt is out, released September 15, 2026. The Day-of prompt is held back until the morning of October 16, 2026.
- Released
Pre-event prompt released
The Pre-Event Challenge prompt is out: UN Sustainable Development Goal 11, Sustainable Cities and Communities, with 3 categories to choose between. Day-of teams get nothing yet - that prompt is held until the morning of the conference.
- Your move
Confirmation form due
Every attendee confirms their team and their stream. This is separate from Eventbrite, and it is what the judging schedule is built from. Pre-Event teams also submit a short description of their project.
Conference day
Day-of teams meet their prompt and build. Pre-event teams present at their assigned judging time. Both streams pitch, and every award is announced at the closing session.
The rules, in brief.
Both streams owe the same deliverables and are judged against the same rubric. This is the short version - the full brief covers submission, late arrivals, no-shows, and everything an individual prompt is allowed to override.
Every team submits
- A pitch deck
- A 4–5 minute pitch to the judging panel
- A 1–2 minute Q&A straight after
- Original work, made for this challenge
Optional, unless the prompt says otherwise
- A prototype or visual model - a mock-up, a physical build, a diagram, a workflow, a system design
- A written submission beyond the pre-event paragraph
Tools you can use
- AI tools are permitted in both streams
- Internet access is permitted in both streams
- Your team stays responsible for the originality and accuracy of what you present
Bring it with you
- Have your deck and materials on your own device on the day
- Check your laptop has USB-C, or bring the adapter
- At least one team member must be present for the pitch to be judged
- All team members are encouraged to present
Every rule, deliverable, and the full judging rubric, in one document.
Read the Innovation Challenge rulesNo single right answer.
Judges aren't looking for the most complex build. They're looking for thoughtful, original ideas with real potential. Every team is scored out of 25 on the same rubric, whichever stream they're in - here's what it rewards.
Creativity
Original thinking and a fresh angle on the problem.
Feasibility
A solution that could realistically take shape.
Impact
The potential to make a meaningful difference.
Teamwork & delivery
Clear collaboration and a compelling pitch.
A cash pool of about $3,000, split across the two streams.
- Winner
- $1,000
- In each stream
- Runner-Up
- $500
- In each stream
Cash prizes are meant to fund the continued development of the winning solutions.
Plus three recognition awards, in each stream
Most Innovative Solution
The most original, creative, or unique idea in the room.
Most Feasible Solution
The most realistic and practical solution, with real potential to be implemented.
Best Community Impact
The solution with the strongest potential to help people, communities, or the city.
From past challenges.
