Philadelphia Teens Rise Up to Confront Our World's Most Pressing Issues

PHILADELPHIA, Feb. 1, 2017 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- Over 200 students and educators from across the School District of Philadelphia will convene to learn from professionals who are tackling some of our world's most pressing issues, as part of the Aspen Challenge, a program of the Aspen Institute, founded in partnership with the Bezos Family Foundation.

Featured presenters include:

• Questlove: drummer, DJ, producer, culinary entrepreneur, designer, New York Times best-selling author, and member of The Roots
• Dr. Ezekiel Emanuel: oncologist, bioethicist, chair at Department of Medical Ethics and Health Policy at the University of Pennsylvania
• MK Asante: professor, poet, and author of Washington Post best-seller Buck: A Memoir
• Reverend Jeffrey Brown: coalition builder and founder of RECAP (Rebuilding Every Community Around Peace)
• Komal Ahmad: founder and CEO of Copia, a company working to eradicate hunger and food waste
• JT Reager: earth scientist, NASA Jet Propulsion Lab
• Jeffrey Rosen: president and CEO, National Constitution Center

And many more! For the complete list of presenters visit aspenchallenge.org

"We are thrilled to partner in launching this innovative program in Philadelphia. The Aspen Challenge will strengthen students' passion for learning and ignite a lifelong commitment to dynamic leadership and advocacy for change," said Dr. William Hite, superintendent of the School District of Philadelphia. "In alignment with the School District's mission to provide excellent educational opportunities for all our students, the Aspen Challenge will continue to engage students as leaders for years to come."

Each team will design a solution to one of the five challenges that will be presented on February 1. As part of this effort, they must engage their community to pilot the idea, measure their impact, and craft a dynamic presentation for a panel of judges in the program's competition. The three top teams are identified for outstanding solutions that meet the criteria for creativity, originality, impact, and sustainability. They win the opportunity to present their solutions at the 2017 Aspen Ideas Festival in Aspen, Colorado.

"The Aspen Challenge drives youth to think critically about the world and translate big ideas into tangible solutions within their communities," said Rajiv Vinnakota, executive vice president of Youth and Engagement Programs at the Aspen Institute. "With only eight weeks to design and pilot their work, it's astounding what they are capable of accomplishing. It demonstrates the true power of student agency in conjunction with teacher passion."

The Aspen Challenge provides inspiration, tools, and a platform for young people to design solutions to some of the most critical issues humanity faces. Each year, the program partners with a new urban school district. Up to 20 schools are invited to participate – each high school forms a team of 8 students and 2 educators. The program is celebrating its 5^th year, and has partnered with districts across the country, including Chicago Public Schools, DC Public Schools, DC Public Charter School Board, Denver Public Schools, and the Los Angeles Unified School District. This is the first year of the program in Philadelphia.

For more information, please visit aspenchallenge.org or www.facebook.com/TheAspenChallenge. For up-to-date information, visit us on Twitter @Aspen_Challenge and follow the conversation: #aspenchallenge.

The Aspen Challenge—launched by The Aspen Institute and the Bezos Family Foundation—provides a platform, inspiration, and tools for young people to design solutions to some of the most critical and complicated problems we face. For more information, please visit aspenchallenge.org.

The Aspen Institute is an educational and policy studies organization based in Washington, DC. Its mission is to foster leadership based on enduring values and to provide a nonpartisan venue for dealing with critical issues. The Institute is based in Washington, DC; Aspen, Colorado; and on the Wye River on Maryland's Eastern Shore. It also has offices in New York City and an international network of partners. For more information, visit aspeninstitute.org.

SOURCE The Aspen Institute

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