We understand that taking care of our pearly whites is a big deal, but it's not always easy, especially for kids in under-resourced communities. Your mission? Do some digging to find out why oral health is falling through the cracks in the U.S. or your community, and then let your creative genius run wild! Come up with a unique product, a cutting-edge business idea, or an awe-inspiring viral marketing campaign to make sure every child has an opportunity for a healthy smile. Show off your brilliant ideas with a video pitch to The Delta Dental Institute for a chance to win $$$, and of course, add an amazing real-world project to your resume and college applications.
In this Challenge, you'll explore the question:
How can oral health be improved for kids in under-resourced communities?
This Challenge is still available to earn points!! The prize money was awarded to past winners.
Add this experience to your resume, LinkedIn, portfolio, etc. See our guide 'How to Add a Challenge to a Resume,' which includes sample bullet points.
Now, it’s time to answer your Big Question from the Focus phase. In this phase, you’ll generate tons of ideas and choose one to pursue. Then, you'll create your idea. Get creative and embrace wild ideas!
By the end of the Imagine phase, you should have:
Brainstormed a lot of ideas for a solution
Identified your solution and be able to explain why you chose this solution
Designated the category that your solution fits into: product design, business concept, or marketing campaign
⏱️Time: 2-3 Hours (during Week 2 of Challenge)
✏️Use the optional KNOtebook to record notes and questions
💼 Mentor: Get feedback from a mentor on your idea
🎯 Future Ready Skills: Problem-Solving, Collaboration
The solution that you ultimately choose will fall into ONE of three categories. You may want to keep this in mind during your brainstorm! You'll be choosing ONE of the categories. Flip each card to review your choices.
Brainstorming is an effective way to produce a lot of ideas quickly, to solve problems, and to build enthusiasm! Select from the videos to get tips and see brainstorming in action. No need to watch all of the videos.
Watch an example of a KnoPro brainstorming session. The following brainstorming process is a suggested method. When you brainstorm, TAKE YOUR TIME! It could be a multiday process so you can have time to think.
Brainstorming Techniques (2:05)
Example brainstorming process (1:57)
Brainstorming Strategies (5:31)
Once you’ve reviewed the feedback from a mentor, consider if you want to combine or revise any of the ideas. Use any of the following methods to help you choose one idea. Select each of the first two images to watch a video.
You can use the Starbursting technique to help you dig deeper into your potential solutions. Here's an example from a backpack campaign.
Do a SWOT analysis to ensure that you've thought about all aspects of your product. A SWOT analysis is a technique for assessing your ideas to help you improve or change your ideas before finalizing.
Use the PRO criteria to evaluate your ideas: Purpose: Which idea addresses the need best?Results: Which idea will make a big impact? Originality: Which idea do we think is the most unique?
Now, It’s time to choose one of your ideas to prototype! Discuss, vote, and choose one idea to pursue. You may want to use one or more of the suggestions below. Select each plus sign to learn about these techniques.
Do you feel prepared to move on and start creating you solution? Can you explain the following to someone or write your responses in your KNOtebook. If so, great! You're well on your way! Flip the cards to check yourself.