Inviting students to collaborate on climate solutions.
Become a ChangemakerThe Climate Transformation Challenge™ is an annual competition that empowers student teams to develop real solutions at the intersection of technology and social change. Produced and presented by the Climate Innovation Coalition and our partners and sponsors, the 2027 Challenge follows a successful inaugural year in 2026, when 12 student teams from San José State University competed to develop real climate solutions. This year's Challenge recognizes a critical truth: we already have much of the technology needed to address climate change, yet global transformation lags far behind what's required.
The inaugural 2026 Challenge brought together 12 student teams from San José State University. Congratulations to our top three: EqualEarth (1st), The Matriarch Mandate (2nd & Platinum), and Packaging Without Plastic (3rd). See the full 2026 recap.
Building on the momentum of the inaugural year, CIC is growing the Climate Transformation Challenge™ to five Bay Area campuses for 2027, alongside outreach to corporate partners to expand mentorship, prize funding, and real world deployment pathways for winning teams.
Every Challenge team also gets support navigating AI responsibly, through The AI Companion Project — volunteer mentors who help teams use AI tools thoughtfully as they build their solutions. Learn about AI mentorship.
Solutions must be sufficiently robust to be replicable and scalable across a region, state or nation, and must include plans for implementation and funding.
Solutions for mitigation, adaptation, sustainability, resilience and/or regeneration.
Practical ways, such as nudges, to reduce, reuse, recycle, restore and respect.
Paradigm shifting ways to address the root causes of the social, environmental and economic factors that slow progress on the climate crisis.
Our planet is facing an unprecedented crisis, and the time for action is now. The Climate Transformation Challenge™ invites you to be part of the solution. Whether through groundbreaking technology, creative campaigns, or innovative strategies, your ideas can make a tangible difference in fighting climate change. This is your chance to shine: showcase your talent, unleash your creativity, and join a community of changemakers.
The climate crisis is a real emergency, and we need everyone to step up with innovative solutions, technologies and social campaigns to help mitigate and adapt to the impacts of climate change. The Challenge is an opportunity for you and your team to showcase your talent, creativity and entrepreneurial spirit, produced and presented by the Climate Innovation Coalition, San José State University and participating partners and sponsors.
Get StartedThe Climate Transformation Challenge™ is made possible through the generous support of our sponsors who share our commitment to empowering the next generation of climate leaders. Interested in sponsoring in 2027? Contact us at info@cic.earth.
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Climate Transformation Challenge™