Join the Student Impact Challenge

The Student Impact Challenge is open to post-secondary engineering students in Ontario, enrolled in degree programs. We welcome diverse ideas and encourage students from other fields to team up with engineering students for a well-rounded approach.

You can sign up on this page.

After you fill in your event application, you will get an email notification from NEM Ontario. Our team will then review and approve your event. Once approved, you will get another email from us with a link to submit your event details. We will then review your event again before it is published on the calendar. For more information, please refer to the general FAQ on the event leader page.

Choose from four impactful themes—Environmental Sustainability, Health and Wellness, Accessibility, and Technological Innovation. Each theme is designed to address societal needs through engineering.

Here’s a quick guide on how to add NEM Ontario to your safe sender list:

1. 1. Gmail:
      • Open an email from NEM Ontario.
      • Click on the three dots in the upper right corner of the email.
      • Select “Add letstalk@nemontario.ca to Contacts list” from the drop-down menu.
   2. Outlook:
      • Open an email from NEM Ontario.
      • Right-click on the email.
      • Choose “Junk” from the drop-down menu.
      • Select “Never Block Sender” or “Add letstalk@nemontario.ca to Safe Senders List.”
   3. Yahoo Mail:
      • Open an email from NEM Ontario.
      • Click on the “More” button.
      • Select “Add to Contacts.”
   4. Other Email Providers:
      • Locate the “Settings” or “Options” menu in your email account.
      • Look for “Safe Senders” or “Whitelist” options.
      • Add the NEM Ontario email address letstalk@nemontario.ca to the list.

• Workshops: Educate and engage participants through interactive learning sessions.
• Hackathons: Collaborate to develop innovative tech-based solutions.
• Panel Discussions: Discuss critical topics with experts and thought leaders.
• Hands-On Projects: Apply engineering principles in real-world applications.
• Community Outreach: Work directly with communities to raise awareness and drive action.

Registered teams will receive comprehensive guidelines, resources, and promotional materials to help plan, promote, and execute a successful event. Check out our resources below.

The total prize pool is $5,000, with $4,000 for the event demonstrating the most impact and $200 in early bird incentives for each of the first five teams that enter before December 30, 2024. 

• Registration Opens: November 1, 2024  
• Early Bird Deadline: December 30, 2024  
• Registration closes on January 30, 2025
• Event Dates: March 1–30, 2025  
• Final Report Submission: April 15, 2025  
• Winners Announced: April 30, 2025 

After the events, the NEM Ontario team will share an evaluation form that students must complete by April 30, 2025 to be eligible for the prize.  Evaluations will be evaluated based on the following key factors:

• Impact (30%) – How effectively does the event address a societal challenge?  
• Innovation (25%) – Does the event introduce a unique, creative approach to solving the problem?  
• Execution (20%) – How well-organized and executed is the event?  
• Community Engagement (15%) – Did the event engage the broader community, on-campus or beyond?  
• Promotion (10%) – Was the event effectively promoted through digital channels and on-campus?