2023- 2024
HBCU Smart Cities Challenge
The HBCU Smart Cities Challenge is empowering all 107 HBCUs to build a smart city application for their community.
This inaugural Smart City Challenge encourages HBCU developers, entrepreneurs, designers, and engineers to develop tech solutions that leverage IoT technology.
Students enrolled at an HBCU are eligible to participate in the Smart City Challenge. Students majoring in STEM, public policy, sociology, computer science, and business are encouraged to participate.
HBCU Smart Cities Challenge
Showcase Event
February 17th-18th, 2023
Winston-Salem, NC
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Pitch Competition
The top teams from the HBCU Smart Cities Challenge will be pitching their MVP or proof-of-concept to a table of judges for tiered prizes.
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Career Fair
Recruiting great talent from HBCUs or finding your next career milestone, participating in this showcase event opens up the possibility of new opportunities.
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Networking
From students to fortune 500 companies, the HBCU Smart Cities Challenge Showcase Event is a great place to get inspired, recruit talent, and network.
Smart Cities Townhalls
Smart Cities Townhalls
Smart Cities Townhall #103: Inclusive Communities
Join us for our next HBCU Smart Cities TownHall which will be focused on Inclusive Communities. Our Director of City Partnerships, Ayinde Simon, will be speaking with James Thurston, Vice President for Global Strategy and Development for G3ict.
This event will equip city stakeholders and HBCU leadership with use cases to broaden their knowledge on the importance of building inclusive communities. The event will highlight the significance of utilizing technology to create accessibility to all residents within a community.
Smart Cities Town hall #102: Transportation & Mobility
The Smart Cities Town Hall: Transportation & Mobility discussed developing actionable transit solutions that leverage technology to drive community and economic impact.
Smart Cities Townhall #101: Starting with the Problem
Starting with the Problem The Smart Cities 101 Town Hall discussed the process of how city stakeholders can develop actionable problem statements that leverage technology innovation to drive solutions.
This event equipped city stakeholders and HBCU leadership with a framework to craft problem statements. Also, highlighted the relationship between community researchers and municipalities.
Smart Cities Townhall #104: Wireless Networks
The Smart Cities Town Hall: IoT Wireless Network discusses best practices to develop actionable IoT wireless solutions that leverage technology innovation to drive community and economic impact.
Why HBCU cities?
Home to some of the brightest minds in the country, HBCU communities are poised to help bridge the digital divide in numerous ways. New hubs for mission-driven tech development, smart technology expansion, and opportunities for talent development are abundant.
According to a Cisco study, cities that use data improve their energy consumption by 30% in 20 years. The HBCU Smart Cities Challenge will support use cases for IoT technology such as air quality management, water management, traffic management, smart parking, smart waste management.
Challenge Requirements
Each Smart City Challenge team will need to:
Be made up of a team of HBCU students (Borderless Teams)
Present a functional MVP that solves a problem for a city/community
Complete a pitch deck and visual presentation to a team of judges
Submit requirements by December 15th, 2022
Waste Management
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Air Quality
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Traffic Management
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Smart Parking
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Operations Management
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Public Health and Safety
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Logistics Routing
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Operations Management
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Waste Management * Air Quality * Traffic Management * Smart Parking * Operations Management * Public Health and Safety * Logistics Routing * Operations Management *
Goals & Objectives
50 HBCUs submit an application
To empower HBCU community members to create applications that change their community
10 HBCUs teams incorporate Web3 and/or blockchain tools
To galvanize entrepreneurs, technologists. engineers, and designers about the power of IoT technology.
Time Frame
The inaugural HBCU Smart Cities Challenge will kick off with the Fall 2022 academic year.
From introductory workshops to the final pitch competition
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Kick-off virtual event with IoT introduction workshops
Virtual breakout rooms for students to meet potential team members
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Finalize HBCU teams and begin building smart city MVP
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Finalize smart city MVP
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Building minimal-viable-products (MVP) and proofs-of-concept (POC)
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Submit pitch and visual presentation of smart city MVP on January 20th
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In-person pitch competition in Greensboro, NC for cash prizes!
Contact us for more information or general questions about the HBCU Smart Cities Challenge