My advice for those starting new prize contests—especially for students, but ideally for anyone—is simple: include a learning and feedback process.

To encourage students to dream big about solutions to social problems, "Big Ideas@Berkeley" changed the way that campus innovation contests are run.

The end of this year’s BigIdeas@Berkeley contest has arrived, and the 56 finalist teams’ wait for the judges’ results has finally ended.

As the eighth Big Ideas@Berkeley student innovation contest comes to a close, the 56 teams that qualified for the final round are abuzz with activity and anticipation of the upcoming Pitch Day and Awards Ceremony.

The process of competing in and winning the Big Ideas Contest has led the development of many successful initiatives. Among these are Back to the Roots, the Suitcase Clinic, and WE CARE Solar—each of which has grown from a big idea into an inspiring and impactful social venture.