BIC Corporate Foundation Sponsors Global Ideas Competition 'Ideas World Cup'

Annual Event Attracting 100,000 Participants Will Focus On Inspiring Creativity In Education

Registration Now Open For Individuals And Teams From Across The Globe; Monthlong Competition Begins On World Creativity Day, April 21, 2022

SHELTON, Conn., April 1, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- The BIC Corporate Foundation announces its title sponsorship of the sixth edition of Ideas World Cup, the largest brainstorming event in the world where individuals and teams from cities around the globe compete to solve a social issue using the power of creative thinking. This year's theme, How Can We Inspire Creativity In Education, was selected by the BIC Corporate Foundation for its universal need, potential for global impact, and direct reflection of the Foundation's core belief that creativity in education is a cornerstone of personal progress and societal change. 

Ideas World Cup is a month-long not-for-profit competition founded in 2014 by Juan Prego, a pioneer in teaching organizations and teams from all sectors to unlock the power of creative thinking and rewire their cultures to be more inventive. Each year, Ideas World Cup rewards projects that have the potential to be implemented locally, nationally, or globally with prizes to help bring their idea to life. This year, the winner will also have access to mentors from the BIC Corporate Foundation's Corporate Community of Practice, a global coalition of educators, researchers, foundations, artists, and NGOs to help maximize their idea's impact.

"Ideas World Cup is a true celebration of human creativity," said Mr. Prego. "We connect people from all over the world and tap into their inner creative power, proving that if we join heads, hearts, and hands, we can solve some of the most difficult global problems we face. Everyone can be creative, and through that creativity we can forge a brighter future."

This year's theme asks participants to ideate how creativity can evolve from an abstract concept into an applied foundational element of the learning process; an essential life skill that can be taught, cultivated, and championed across all subjects throughout the global educational system, and become a transformational tool that can be used to solve the most challenging problems society faces. "We believe that creativity is the key to unlocking a better future," said Alison James, Executive Director, BIC Corporate Foundation. "Our aim with this year's theme is to celebrate the development of the creative mind and inspire a movement around creativity in education for people of all ages and backgrounds."

Five sub-themes posing 30 additional questions have also been created to tackle ancillary issues and inspire entrants to expand their thinking, including:

• Building Creative Cultures: how might we develop a change-oriented culture of learning that embraces creativity at the heart of the learning process?
• Environmental Protection: how can we harness the power of creativity to tackle the biggest challenges outlined in the UN's 17 sustainable development goals?
• The Future of Learning: how might we revolutionize teacher training and development to drive more creativity in the classroom?
• Equity, Diversity, and Inclusion: how can we use creativity to address systemic challenges of bias in our education system?
• Building a Network: how might we create a network of creativity catalysts in our schools and higher education institutions to amplify and promote our work?

Ideas World Cup Timeline

• April 21 – May 9: organized events begin, and participants submit their ideas
• May 10 – May 13: the Ideas World Cup jury will review and shortlist the best ideas
• May 13 – May 20: specific questions will be proposed directly by the jury to idea creators to refine and improve an idea's potential
• May 20 – May 26: the finalists will be selected, and an online voting phase will open
• May 27: the winning project will be announced, and the city with the most ideas entered will be awarded the title of "most creative city"

Registration is now open at www.ideasworldcup.com for any person or group who wishes to enter, with the competition officially starting on World Creativity Day, April 21, 2022. The winning projects will be announced during the closing ceremony on May 27, 2022. For further explanation of the event timeline and an overview of supporting webinars provided by Ideas World Cup, please visit www.ideasworldcup.com/events.

Since its inception, Ideas World Cup has attracted over 100,000 participants from 72 cities in 15 countries and generated over 34,000 ideas. In 2021, the main theme asked how society could mitigate the social and economic impact caused by the COVID-19 crisis.

About BIC
A world leader in stationery, lighters and shavers, BIC brings simplicity and joy to everyday life. For more than 75 years, the Company has honored the tradition of providing high-quality, affordable, essential products to consumers everywhere. Through this unwavering dedication, BIC has become one of the most recognized brands and is a trademark registered worldwide. Today, BIC products are sold in more than 160 countries around the world and feature iconic brands such as BIC ^® Kids, BIC Flex^TM, BodyMark^TM by BIC ^®, Cello^®, Djeep ^®, Lucky ^® Stationery, Rocketbook ^®, Soleil^®, Tipp-Ex^®, Us.^TM, Wite-Out^®, Inkbox ^TM and more. In 2021, BIC Net Sales were 1,831.9 million euros. The Company is listed on "Euronext Paris," is part of the SBF120 and CAC Mid 60 indexes and is recognized for its commitment to sustainable development and education. It received an A- Leadership score from CDP. For more, visit about.bic.com or follow us on LinkedIn, Instagram, Twitter, or YouTube.

About the BIC Foundation
We aspire to live in a world where there is equal access to quality education that inspires and empowers our youth. Where creative expression and creative skills are cherished and bring joy to everyday life. Where we directly see and feel the positive impact of innovative education programs on our youth, and consequently on their communities. Through our partnerships we're proud to have directly contributed to the development of the most inspiring and innovative pool of creative change makers known in our society. 

About Actitud Creativa / Ideas World Cup
Actitud Creativa is the leading training and consulting firm in creative thinking for the Spanish Speaking world, operating in 12 countries from Hong Kong to Argentina. In its 20 years, the firm has innovated several initiatives including Ideas World Cup, the largest brainstorming competition in the world; Creativity Certification Program, with more than 30,000 students across the world; Creative-OS, an open innovation and skill building platform used by top companies; and unique creative thinking and innovation methods such as Advanced Creative Problem Solving, an evolution born out of the classical CPS Process; and the Pro.Play® Method, a creative methodology focused on play and the only official partner of Playmobil Pro around the globe.

Media Contacts:

For BIC:
Eric Kreller, Director, Corporate Communications
[email protected]

For Ideas World Cup:
Barbara Quirós, Innovation Strategy
[email protected] 

SOURCE BIC Corporation