2022 Aspen Challenge: Miami

Challenge Forum & Solution Showcase

Welcome to the 2022 Aspen Challenge: Miami Challenge Forum! We are thrilled to be entering our third year of working in Miami with the brilliant and talented students and educators of Miami-Dade County Public Schools. We are excited to be in community together, discussing societal challenges you may be facing in Miami and that young people experience across the country. Today, we will hear from leading thinkers who tackle some of our world’s toughest problems. These experts will pose their challenge statements to you, tasking you to design creative and innovative solutions that will benefit your community, your city, and beyond. Due to the global pandemic, we ask that you follow your local and CDC guidelines when implementing your solution in your community; our team and community champions in Miami will support you along the way. Although you may face some challenges with designing and implementing your solutions in the context of the evolving pandemic, this process will present a real opportunity for creativity and collaboration. As we’ve witnessed over the last two years, the world has come alive with examples of innovation that are allowing for meaningful connection and impact without physical proximity. We believe that you have what it takes to make demonstrable change in Miami and we can’t wait to see the unique solutions you design over the next eight weeks!

The Challenge Forum will take place on February 24, 2022, 8:30 – 4:00 pm ET at Miami Dade College, Chapman Conference Center.

The Solution Showcase will take place on April 21, 2022, 8:30 – 7:00 pm ET at Florida International University.

Miami-Dade County Public Schools
Participating Schools

Miami-Dade County Public Schools is the fourth largest school district in the United States, comprising 392 schools, 345,000 students and over 40,000 employees. Located at the southern end of the Florida peninsula, the school district stretches over 2,000 square miles of diverse and vibrant communities ranging from rural and suburban to urban cities and municipalities. A truly global community, district students speak 56 different languages and represent 160 countries. During Superintendent Carvalho’s tenure, the district has received state and national recognition for unprecedented increases in student achievement and graduation rates. M-DCPS is excited to have recently announced Dr. Jose L. Dotres as the incoming Superintendent who will start in his new role in February 2022.

The following 19 schools will participate in the Aspen Challenge: Miami 2022:

Founding Partners

The Aspen Challenge was launched by the Aspen Institute and the Bezos Family Foundation.

Aspen Institute

The Aspen Institute is a global nonprofit organization committed to realizing a free, just, and equitable society. Founded in 1949, the Institute drives change through dialogue, leadership, and action to help solve the most important challenges facing the United States and the world. Headquartered in Washington, DC, the Institute has a campus in Aspen, Colorado, and an international network of partners. The Aspen Challenge is a part of the Leadership Division at the Aspen Institute, whose programs are committed to the development of values-based leaders that proactively confront societal challenges – both individually and collectively – in order to create a more just, fair, and equitable society

Bezos Family Foundation

The Bezos Family Foundation supports rigorous, inspired learning environments for young people, from birth through high school, to put their education into action. Through investments in research, public awareness, and programs, the foundation works to elevate the field of education and improve life outcomes for all children.