The Make-a-Thon is coming, Jan. 29-31

From ideation to prototyping to pitching—all in one weekend. That’s the thrill of the annual Make-a-Thon, which goes virtual this year as student teams compete for $3,500 in cash prizes to create the best solution to a sustainability challenge. And you can sign up to compete now!

Happening over the weekend of Jan. 29-31, and in a new, all-virtual event format, the Make-a-Thon challenges student teams to choose a sustainability challenge theme/subject to develop a solution for at an individual, campus, or community-wide scale. 

For example, a team might choose to create a solution that helps individuals reduce personal water use or that helps the community incorporate more sustainable food practices. At the end of the competition, you will pitch your idea to judges from the community and local companies. And, yes, there are prizes for the winning teams.

Teams can work on real-world sustainability challenges submitted by local communities or choose any sustainability challenge related to energy, water, waste, transportation or food. Teams also have access to mentors and industry experts to help refine their solutions. At the end of the competition, teams pitch their idea via video. 

Register your team by Jan. 22 at the Make-a-Thon website. The site also summarizes the sustainability challenges and shows previous winners of the Make-a-Thon. Community members can also sign up to participate as a Make-A-Thon judge or mentor.

The Make-A-Thon is sponsored by NC State Entrepreneurship, the Division of Academic and Student Affairs, and the NC State University Libraries. Event hosts include the Libraries, the Engineering Village, the EcoVillage, the Albright Entrepreneurs Village, and the University Sustainability Office.