Submission Guidelines

Project Types

Each project type has different format requirements. Explore the types of projects below, then choose the type of project you want to work on, and review the submission criteria below.

Download a copy of the Submissions Guideline here.

 

Nano Project

Share a video of up to two minutes on Flipgrid

  • Don’t have access to Flipgrid? you can upload a video to Vimeo or YouTube, and email your response to the project team at stateofinnovationwa@gmail.com. Include "Nano Project" in the subject line.
General Nano Project Guidance
  • In your video, give your FIRST NAME ONLY.
  • State which case you’re working on:
    • The Food Chain
    • Our Communities During COVID-19
    • Our Communities After COVID-19
  • State the problem you’re trying to solve.
  • Give your answer -- in your own words, what do you think the solution should be? Your answer should:
    • Reference the case video or at least one of the research links provided for the problem.
    • Explain what this solution would look like if it was used in your community. Who would it help, and why?
    Flipgrid Privacy Notice
    • Flipgrid submissions are publicly accessible to any individual with the Flipgrid link.
    • Do not share any personally identifiable information such as your last name, name of your school/program, address, etc. in your Flipgrid video.
    • Once approved by the project team, your Flipgrid video can be viewed by anyone with a link to the Flipgrid community page.
    • Flipgrid videos will be reviewed for approval by the project team prior to posting on the community page. Videos containing personally identifiable information, as well as videos containing discriminatory, racist, offensive, obscene, inflammatory, unlawful or otherwise objectionable statements, language or content will be disqualified.

    Micro Project

    Upload through the Submission Portal in one of the following formats:

    • Submit a video of up to 5 minutes that demonstrates your solution. You can upload your video to Youtube or Vimeo and submit a link through the project website.
    • Submit a short essay narrating your solution of up to 2 pages (middle school) or up to 4 pages (high school).
    • Write an editorial explaining your solution and arguing why the state should support your solution -- if possible, submit your editorial to a local or school newspaper for publication.
    • Submit a drawing or comic that describes your solution.
    • Create a short research project around the problem-solving prompt.
      • Create a hypothesis, write a research plan for how you will collect data (example: 2-3 questions you will ask community members about the issue), go out and collect the data, and submit a 1-2 page report or a slide deck with your research plan and an analysis of your findings.
    • Create an elevator pitch for a business or nonprofit entity that implements your solution. For your pitch you can:
      • Create a slide deck (Powerpoint, Google Slides, Keynote, etc.) or short narrative (maximum 2 pages) explaining what your proposed business is, what problem it solves, and how.
      • Record yourself giving the pitch, as if you were talking to the state government or other potential investors about supporting your solution -- upload your pitch to Youtube or Vimeo and include a link in your slide deck.


    Macro Project

    Upload through the Submission Portal in one of the following formats:

    Creative Project

  • Write and record a podcast episode, song, or play about your solution. Record and submit your performance or podcast episode. Submit a link to your video or podcast through the project website.

    • Create a model

  • Build a physical model of your solution. Submit a 1-3 page description with photographs of your project.

    • Research Project

  • Create a research project around the problem-solving prompt. Create a hypothesis, write a research plan for how you will collect data, go out and collect the data, and submit a 3-5 page report or a slide deck with your research plan, an analysis of your findings, and a recommendation for next steps the state could take based on your research.

    • Computer Program or App

  • Create an app or computer program for your solution. Submit at 1-3 page report about your app/program including:
    • What it does, and who it helps
    • How you developed it and why
    • Any links demonstrating your app or program

    • Service Project

  • Create a service project around your solution. Submit a 1-3 page report of your project, describing:
    • What the project was and who you were helping
    • Did you partner with any other community organizations for your project? If so, describe what they do in the community
    • The length of the service project -- including how long it took you to prepare for and complete the project
    • Why you chose this project and what you learned from the process
    • What you think the state should do about the issue you focused on in your project going forward

    • Business Plan

  • Create a business plan for a business that implements your solution. This can be an imaginary business or based on a real business in your community, but you must create the business plan yourself. Your business plan should include:

    • 1-3 page description of your business plan
    • Staff and customer safety plan for operating safely during COVID-19, including compliance with all state and local public health rules
    • Projected budget for your business
  • Sample menu for food, service, or merchandise offering
    • Optional -- actually create the food item, service, or merchandise for your business. Photograph and describe the final product
  • Drawings of the physical space of your business (if physical)
  • Marketing plan for your business
    •  

    Challenge Submission Criteria

    We will recognize some of the most creative solutions submitted to the Challenge at our closing event in spring 2021. We’ll be looking for solutions that meet most of the following criteria.

     
    We are looking for solutions that are… That means the solution shows us...
    Creative Original ideas or your personal spin on existing ideas.
    Future focused What isn’t happening yet but that you think should be happening.
    User focused Who will use this solution? What do you know about them and how do you know they would benefit from your solution?
    Implementable How we can use the tools we have in real life to implement this solution -- unfortunately the Avengers are busy, we checked. Think about how you could use state and city budgets, support from business or philanthropy, donations or volunteer support from communities, etc. to accomplish your goals.
    Reflective of you How does your personal identity and your experiences shape the way you see the problem?
    Reflective of your community How are the people around you -- your family, friends, teachers, bosses, teammates, coworkers -- impacted by the problem? How will the solution you propose impact them?
    Equitable You’ve thought about how this problem impacts people of different races or ethnicities, genders, abilities, or income in different ways. How does your solution help address those different impacts?
    Accessible Is this a solution that could be used by a person with disabilities? Someone who speaks a language other than English? A person living in a rural area? In an urban area? An elderly person? A person with kids? What about a person who doesn’t have access to the internet or a computer?