The University of Evansville is proud to host the High School Changemaker Challenge, once again made possible by our generous partners at Toyota. Any high school sophomore, junior, or senior who can be present for the in-person event can compete to win a four-year, full tuition scholarship to the University of Evansville by submitting their idea to make the world a better place.

In-Person Competition
January 24-25, 2025
Eykamp Hall, Ridgway University Center
University of Evansville

2025 Top 20 Competitors

AP Examify
Team members: Bennett Hines, Ishan Pande; Zionsville Community High School, Zionsville, Indiana

AP Examify is an app that will have everything students will need to prepare for AP exam classes, all in one spot. This include things like study guides and extra course work, as well as one-on-one tutoring to help students who are struggling with AP classes.

Beyond Bags
Team member: AJ Riddle; New Tech Institute, Evansville, Indiana

Beyond Bags is a sustainable business dedicated to transforming single-use plastic bags, like those from Walmart and Target, into high-quality, eco-friendly bags. By repurposing these materials—acquired at no cost—the business ensures a reliable and environmentally conscious model, contributing to the reduction of plastic waste while promoting sustainability.

Boomerang Learning
Team members: Kris Lau, Abdul-Aleem Mohammed, Parth Patel; Signature School, Evansville, Indiana

Boomerang Learning is a learning program that will help students who have had trouble catching up to Indiana standards post-COVID and to help students who are falling behind their peers.

CarePoint
Team members: Carl Dela Cruz, Elijah Seth Custodio, Hao G. Pham; Franklin High School, Elk Grove, California

CarePoint is a solar-powered kiosk made from recycled materials, designed to support the homeless community by providing access to essential resources such as food banks, local shelters, job placement centers, and informational programs. It features a digital touch screen, LED lighting, and charging ports to offer both convenience and sustainability.

CHEW
Team member: Kodi Lau, Niranjan Nambiar, Karanveer Singh; Signature School, Evansville, Indiana

CHEW is a shared kitchen service which solves nutritional deficits in the Evansville community by providing a place to cook, culinary and nutritional classes, and readily available healthy ingredients to the Promise Zone.

Clear Vision
Team member: Evan Walker; Zionsville Community High School, Zionsville, Indiana

Clear Vision will help neighborhoods achieve safer and more accessible communities by providing durable, reflective address plaques applied directly to the curb for clear and uniform home visibility.

ElderAlly
Team member: Oliver Gollapudi; Park Tudor High School, Indianapolis, Indiana

Elder Ally is a user-friendly legal aid app that connects elderly individuals with lawyers and provides accessible, jargon-free legal advice and resources.

Freedom Boots
Team members: Keegan Griepenstroh, Elias Hager, Isaac Hager; North High School, Evansville, Indiana

Freedom Boots are advanced motorized leg braces powered by electrical stimulation, designed to deliver an immersive experience when paired with a VR headset—all at an affordable price.

HerMentor Hub
Team member: Eibhlin Teague; Indiana Connections Academy, Petersburg, Indiana

The vision is to develop an app that connects young girls interested in STEM with volunteer student mentors—women in STEM—virtually and on demand. This platform aims to empower girls, particularly those from rural and underrepresented communities, by nurturing their curiosity in STEM. Through the app, users can ask questions, gain insights, and hear inspiring stories and advice from mentors, fostering a supportive and engaging environment for future STEM leaders.

Hunter Kellems Cyber Truck
Team member: Hunter Kellems; Perry Central High School, Leopold, Indiana

Introducing a specialized plug designed for the Tesla Cybertruck to prevent accidental activation of the emergency exit mechanism when it is not needed. This innovation enhances safety and convenience by reducing the likelihood of unintentional use, ensuring the emergency feature remains accessible only when necessary.

Lil' Thespians Program
Team member: Delaney Williams; Hobart High School, Hobart, Indiana

Lil’ Thespians is a children's theatre program in the Evansville Promise Neighborhood, using creative play and performing arts to enhance academic and social skills.

Lovey Duv Sugar Scrub
Team member: Lyla Schultz; Perry Central High School, Leopold, Indiana

Create and sell a homemade all-natural sugar scrub that is made with no chemicals, hormone disturbing fragrances, and is a natural way of exfoliating.

LymeListing
Team member: Sohum Mehta; Illinois Mathematics and Science Academy, Aurora, Illinois

An AI-powered app designed to track, manage, and support individuals living with Lyme disease. This innovative platform leverages advanced technology to monitor symptoms, provide personalized insights, and streamline disease management for improved health outcomes.

PoliTech
Team members: Jonathan Baker, Tyoshi Chikayama-Jackson; Signature School, Evansville, Indiana

PoliTech is an innovative platform that bridges the gap between politicians and their voters through AI technology and social media integration, while ensuring credibility through verified politician accounts and transparent engagement metrics. The platform offers features like PoliAI providing faster information for voters, PoliFeed for sharing verified updates and engaging with followers, and a comprehensive dashboard for politicians to manage their online presence and track authentic engagement metrics.

Pollen
Team member: Louise Windberg, Rebecca Maserejian; Signature School, Evansville, Indiana

Pollen is a digital guide that allows preteens to learn about puberty and sexual education.

Safe2Play
Team members: Carson Newton, Márton Pacsay Tomassich; Memorial High School, Evansville, Indiana

Safe2Play is an online platform that helps prevent injuries by providing free, reliable, medical information and guidelines to all of the Evansville High School community. Safe2Play also creates a network by connecting injured high school athletes with physicians and rehabilitation professionals to guarantee a supervised follow up during recovery.

Seasonal Support Initiative
Team members: Noma Ohonba, Supratibh Mondal; Signature School, Evansville, Indiana

This project aims to support smaller homeless shelters by organizing biannual clothing drives in collaboration with local organizations such as churches, community groups, or the YMCA.

Spark Growth
Team members: Neel Patel, Sreehari Nair, Adam Tipton; Signature School, Evansville, Indiana

Free early education learning platform focused on providing quality education for children of the ages 2-5.

Sprouts: Rooted in Education
Team members: Olivia Cooper; North High School, Evansville, Indiana

Sponsored gardens would be constructed at EVSC elementary schools (with summer school options). The gardens will serve to provide fresh food to nearby food pantries and mitigate local climate change.

STEMpire: Empowering Young Women in STEM
Team members: Norah Ahmed; Evansville Day School, Evansville, Indiana

STEMpire: Empowering Young Women in STEM is a youth-led nonprofit that aims to break down barriers women face in joining STEM fields. We provide resources, education, and assistance for high school girls, especially women from underserved communities like the Evansville Promise Neighborhood, and we are exploring doing so through our STEMpire Conference this next summer to branch out into a long-term program.

How will you Change the World?

The University of Evansville’s Changemaker Challenge motivates local high schoolers to use innovation and creativity to solve challenges in the world around them.

Your idea to make the world a better place could win you full tuition to the University of Evansville where we will join you to make your idea happen!

Competition Event

This event will be a celebration of all the incredible changemakers who are competing. There will be time for networking and collaboration as we all work together to make the world a better place.

Top 20 teams will compete on Friday evening, followed by a dance for all competitors where the Top 6 teams will be announced. Saturday afternoon, the Top 6 teams will compete again. The top three teams will be awarded during a gala celebration of all Changemaker Challenge competitors.

Prizes

The winning students who choose UE as their college destination will receive the following scholarships*:

*Students eligible for more than one UE scholarship will receive the one of highest value.
†Students winning first place will not pay any tuition out of pocket for four years. Winners are required to live on campus as part of a cohort, remain consistently enrolled full-time each semester, maintain satisfactory academic progress toward their degree, and display progress toward fulfilling their Changemaker Challenge project goals. UE admission requirements apply.

Support

All competitors may receive FREE training from UE’s Center for Innovation & Change as well as connection to faculty experts.

Eligibility

• Any high school sophomore, junior, or senior.
• Individual or team entries allowed (teams can be up to three people).
• No limits on number of entries from a school.
• Home school and club entries are also allowed (Scouts, Boys and Girls Club, 4-H, etc.).
• Able to attend the January 24 and 25 Final rounds in Evansville, Indiana. If you can get to UE on these dates (from anywhere), you can compete!

SPECIAL BONUS CATEGORIES: All ideas are welcome! Special bonus points may be available if your idea fits one of these four categories:

1. Increases girls' access and exposure to science fields (Example: a summer camp on UE's campus for girls interested in physics).
2. Works to address or mitigate climate change in our region (Example: decreasing air pollution, more rooftop gardens, etc.).
3. Increases access to physical activity or health options (Example: more dance classes in schools, more recesses, more parks or green spaces, fitness trails, more smoothie bars, creative outdoor play options, etc.).
4. Provides creative ideas that improve quality of life in Evansville’s Promise Neighborhood.
   The Promise Neighborhood is a $30 million federal grant program through the United States Department of Education and coordinated through the University of Evansville. The aim of the funding is to assist children and youth who are growing up in Promise Neighborhoods, providing them with access to outstanding schools as well as robust family and community support systems. These resources will help prepare them to achieve academic excellence, make the transition to college, and, ultimately, embark on a successful career. Visit the Evansville Promise Neighborhood web page for all the details!