The leading company promoting women’s empowerment and entrepreneurship, in partnership with the Network for Teaching Entrepreneurship (NFTE), recently announced the start of its third annual World Series of Innovation (WSI) challenge, a global competition that brings together young people between the ages of 13 and 24 to test their critical thinking skills, and invite them to participate in solving some of the biggest challenges facing humanity today to promote the UN’s Sustainable Development Goals (SDG) .
Launched on September 15, within the framework of World Cleanup Day, the initiative encourages those interested in working towards the UN’s SDG 14: Life under water, a challenge that challenges young people to design a solution that promotes conservation and /or protection of the sea. ecosystems and coastal communities around the world.
Deborah Gibbins, Chief Operating Officer of Mary Kay Inc., said:
All life on planet Earth began and depends on our oceans. Water is the most important resource on our planet and it is important not only to respect it, but also to do our part to protect it.
These are the challenges that Mary Kay has advanced since 2020:
- In its first year of collaboration with NFTE, in 2020, the WSI Challenge for UN’s SDG 12: Responsible Consumption and Production, invited participants to promote the reuse or upcycling of textiles.
- For the second challenge, in pursuit of UN SDG5: Gender Equality, the challenge is to develop programs to promote equality in the workplace and ensure equal access to economic opportunities for women and girls .
“The next generation of global thinkers and leaders is already working on these important areas of concern to us all and leading conservation efforts. We are excited to see how the world’s youth can help advance the conservation of ecosystems and biodiversity around the world,” added Gibbins.
Today marks the 59th year since Mary Kay Ash started the company. That’s 59 years of enriching the lives of women around the world. Can you believe it? Leave a comment on your favorite thing about Mary Kay. We are excited to celebrate with you! pic.twitter.com/iNGriEsGSH
— Mary Kay Global (@MaryKayGlobal) September 13, 2022
Founded more than 35 years ago, NFTE is a global nonprofit educational organization that works to bring entrepreneurship to low-income communities.
Each fall, NFTE launches a new set of challenges for the WSI contest and invites corporate sponsors to address the UN SDGs. The 2022 NFTE World Series of Innovation is presented by the Citi Foundation and features challenges sponsored, in addition to Mary Kay Inc., by organizations such as, MetLife Foundation, Mastercard, Bank of the West, Link, Maxar, Ernst & Young, LLP (EY), ServiceNow and Zuora.
“The Mary Kay Global Ocean Conservation Challenge challenges our young WSI contestants to think critically about water quality. In classrooms, students learn that water is essential to a healthy ecosystem. However, through experiences like WSI’s, they are empowered to preserve that resource. They can create ways to conserve marine life, protect oceans, ensure affordable access to clean water , protect water resources from pollution, deal with overconsumption or help preserve our ecosystem for future generations. This is really a very powerful thing,” said Dr. JD LaRock, President and CEO of NFTE.
The top three winners will be announced in early 2023. For more information on the World Series of Innovation and all the challenges, click here.