Second Life, Smarter Tech
+400 Points
$10000
Look around you. Your phone, laptop, earbuds, and game console all took materials, energy, and resources to reach you. But eventually, batteries fade, screens crack, and updates stop. Then what?
In this Challenge, you’ll dream up a way to keep technology working longer and wasting less. Create a product, business, or marketing campaign that changes how tech is made, used, fixed, powered, or passed on. Get ready to impress the Lenovo judges and win big $$$!
The question is:
How can we rethink technology instead of replacing it?
November 2nd-December 7th
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Skills you'll develop
- Problem Solving
- Communication
- Social Awareness
Second Life, Smarter Tech
This Challenge will run from November 2nd through December 6th, 2026.
Let's Explore!
In this section, you'll explore how the tech you use every day is made, used, and thrown away. You'll hear from the people who deal with it and see who is working to make it last longer. Get ready to become an expert!
Welcome to the Second Life, Smarter Tech Challenge!
Learn what the Second Life, Smarter Tech Challenge is all about. You'll be addressing the question: How can we rethink technology instead of replacing it? Get ready to wow the Lenovo judges with your pitch video and win $$$. Good luck!
How Big Is the Problem?
Check out some numbers about the tech we throw away and what is being done about it.
These numbers are estimates and will continue changing.
Changes in Everyday Tech
Tech has changed a lot over the years, but we still throw away a lot of it. See what's gotten better and what hasn't.
One Laptop's Journey
Every laptop goes through the same stages, from the day it's made to the day someone is done with it. Watch what happens at each one, and notice where things could have gone a different way.
Where Old Tech Goes
Lenovo is the largest computer maker in the world. About one out of every four new computers sold is a Lenovo, so what it does with old laptops matters. The question you're answering in this Challenge is one Lenovo works on every day. Watch the videos below to see why gadgets are hard to fix, how to recycle an old device, and how Lenovo gives used laptops a second life!
Right to Repair Gadgets (2:36)
Recycling Your Old Device (4:53)
Lenovo Certified Refurbished (1:24)
Voices from the Tech World
Listen to people who design, fix, reuse, and recycle tech talk about their jobs and what makes them hard. Pay attention to the problems they bring up, because one of them could turn into your idea. Who knows, you might end up in one of these jobs someday.
Talk to Real People
The best way to find a problem worth solving is to talk to people about their tech.
Practice here first, so you know what to ask when you do it for real
What's Already Being Tried
Now that you've seen the problem up close, discover what's already being tried, meet the people working on it, and follow one team from idea to pitch.
Who is Rethinking Tech?
You've seen the problems. Now meet some of the people working on them. Some have huge budgets and some have a screwdriver and a free weekend, and every one of them started with a problem they wanted to fix.
The Path to a Pitch
Not sure where to begin your own project? Follow one team from the first conversation to the final video, and see how the same idea could become a product, a business, or a campaign.
Narrow the Issue
Get ready to choose a focus, an audience, and a brainstorming question!
