XPRIZE Connect
Brought to you by UNSW Sydney and XPRIZE Foundation.
Discover the progress you can make with XPRIZE Connect.
Congratulations! You're joining an opportunity to drive innovation, problem solving, creativity and social justice. Over the next 8 weeks, students will get the opportunity to solve meaningful problems, translating their ideas and interests into impact.
- I'm a Student
- I'm a Teacher
Are you ready to tackle the biggest challenges facing the world today and in the future?
As part of a partnership between UNSW and your school, you’ll take part in 18 exclusive lessons where you’ll learn how to use your interests to shape the world:
1. Hear from UNSW at your school
UNSW students will share how you can get the most out of your experience.
2. Complete your online modules
Work through 18 dynamic online lessons.
3. Prepare to submit your competition entry
Get tips on what the judges are looking for in a second workshop with UNSW.
4. Attend our Ceremony Event
Join us on campus at UNSW to celebrate your participation and find out whether you're a winner.
What do you need to know about XPRIZE Connect?
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You'll complete 18 lessons – either during class or as homework – over 8 weeks in Term 4. Check out the key dates below:
Week 1: From 14 Oct
Module 1 begins! UNSW will visit you at school to deliver this workshop and kick off XPRIZE Connect.Weeks 2–8: 21 Oct – 2 Dec
You'll complete your modules during these weeks. Get creative, problem-solving and critical thinking.Weeks 7–8: 25 Nov – 2 Dec
UNSW will visit you at school for our second workshop - this time with a focus on how you can share your best pitch.Week 8: 5 Dec
Deadline to submit your XPRIZE Connect competition entry pitch.Week 8–9: 2 Dec - 9 Dec
Judging begins.Week 10: 6pm - 8pm on Thursday, 12 Dec
Join us on campus at UNSW to celebrate your participation and find out whether you're a winner.After XPRIZE
Stay in touch with UNSW, you’ll get exclusive invites to our events and insights as you continue your journey to uni. -
Stay tuned for news on the prizes up for grabs. We have five award categories that your competition pitch could be eligible to win.
View our assessment criteria below:
Category 1: Champion of champions
- First prize
- Second prize
- Third prize
Category 2: Innovation
Best use of innovation and technology
Recognising the pitch with the strongest use of technology and digital innovation.Category 3: Problem solving
Best application of critical thinking and problem solving
Recognising the pitch with the strongest application of design thinking: demonstrating reflective judgement, insightful analysis and strategic thought.Category 4: Creativity
Most creative application
Recognising the submission that best draws upon innovation, inspiration and imagination to illustrate a visionary solution within their pitch.Category 5: Social Justice
Best pitch for humanity and social justice
Recognising the strongest pitch that seeks to negate unfair treatment or biased behaviours facing modern-day society. -
When it comes to your final pitch, there are a couple of things you can do to ensure you put your best foot forward. Try our top tips:
Record in a well-lit room
Pick a space that's near a window with natural light or set up where you have the best lighting at home. We want to be able to see you!Find a quiet space
Keep distractions at a minimum. Ensure there's no background noise so that you have the best chance of being heard.Memorise your pitch
Show off your skills by not reading off palm cards or your device. It makes a huge difference!Practice!
Practice by yourself or in front of friends or family before you record. Do a couple of takes and select the best one.
Driving progress for all across the world's biggest challenges starts with you and your students.
Thank you for being a valued partner school. XPRIZE Connect is your exclusive opportunity to foster innovation, creativity, critical thinking and most of all, positive impact in the next generation of future leaders.
Syllabus alignment
XPRIZE Connect's modules align with a variety of syllabus outcomes across Year 10 English, Geography, Science and Technology.
Learning outcomes
Students will gain the tools to define and solve meaningful challenges. They'll develop the foundations for driving lasting positive change with their future career.
Structured lessons
Students can progress autonomously through dynamic modules. The program is designed to ensure students can succeed independently, with educators fostering collaboration.
What to expect
UNSW to lead two interactive workshops
We'll kick off and close the program at your school, including supporting students in developing their pitches.
Support students in completing dynamic modules
You'll support your students through 18 dynamic lessons.
Attend our Ceremony Event
You're invited to an on-campus ceremony at UNSW alongside students and their parents.
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XPRIZE Connect is an 8-week program, comprising 18 dynamic lessons which can be delivered either in class or as supplementary learning beyond the classroom. The lessons can be selected based on your school’s preference and capacity. UNSW will deliver two interactive workshops led by current students onsite at your school, to officially commence and conclude the program.
Designed for high school students to engage in real-world problem solving through developing creativity and critical thinking; XPRIZE Connect is an opportunity for students to gain the skills to solve meaningful problems driven by their unique passions and interests. At the end, students will generate their own XPRIZE video competition pitch to submit as part of the 2024 UNSW XPRIZE Connect Competition.
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Week 1: W/c 14 October
The program will kick off with UNSW delivering a workshop onsite at your school.Weeks 2–8: W/c 21 Oct – w/c 2 Dec
Students will complete their modules during these weeks.Weeks 7–8: W/c 25 Nov – w/c 2 Dec
UNSW will deliver a second workshop onsite at your school. This workshop will conclude the program and support students in developing their final pitch.Week 8: 5 December
Deadline for students submit their XPRIZE Connect competition entry pitch.Week 8–9: W/c 2 Dec – w/c 9 Dec
Judging begins.
Week 10: 6pm – 8pm on Thursday, 12 Dec
UNSW will host an on-campus ceremony for students, teachers and parents.
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Students will be eligible for five award categories based on the quality of their competition pitch.
They will be assessed based on the following criteria:
Category 1: Champion of champions
- First prize
- Second prize
- Third prize
Category 2: Innovation
Best use of innovation and technology
Recognising the pitch with the strongest use of technology and digital innovation.Category 3: Problem solving
Best application of critical thinking and problem solving
Recognising the pitch with the strongest application of design thinking: demonstrating reflective judgement, insightful analysis and strategic thought.Category 4: Creativity
Most creative application
Recognising the submission that best draws upon innovation, inspiration and imagination to illustrate a visionary solution within their pitch.Category 5: Social Justice
Best pitch for humanity and social justice
Recognising the strongest pitch that seeks to negate unfair treatment or biased behaviours facing modern-day society. -
Prior to commencing the XPRIZE program, we encourage you to read the XPRIZE Connect Teachers Guide. This provides detailed insight into everything you need to facilitate the program at your school.
You'll also receive a step-by-step outline, including:
- Creating a class
- Adding multiple students to a class
- Individually adding a student to a class
- What to do when a student has not received their invitation email
- Assigning a lesson to your students
- What to do when a student forgets their password
- How to make a lesson unavailable to a class
- How to monitor your students' performance
UNSW are also available to support with any queries or escalations.
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You may select lesson modules based on your school's preference, capacity and/or the class(es) in which XPRIZE Connect is being rolled out.
Browse the available lessons below:
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UNSW are available for enquiries and support regarding the following:
- Issues with the educator portal
- Booking the UNSW interactive workshops at your school
- The on-campus UNSW ceremony event
Contact our UNSW team:
- Email us: fsoutreach@unsw.edu.au
- Call us: +61 2 9348 2067
Lesson delivery
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The XPRIZE Connect program and platform are designed to ensure students can succeed independently. As an educator, there's no expectation to deliver the lesson module content.
Your main role? Creating a sense of community and collaboration, while ensuring progression and deadlines are met. We recommend you set goals and expectations, regular check-ins, face-to-face opportunities and general support.
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The XPRIZE platform is intuitive and clear; students can work autonomously through the program. Each student will:
- Progress through 18 dynamic modules ranging 30-45 minutes.
- Each module comprises 1-3 videos.
- After watching each video, students will respond to prompts, either as a private reflection or as part of a collaborative response uploaded to the wider group.
- Students will work towards developing a clear and attractive Prize concept pitch, also known as a XPRIZE Sketch Deck (short presentation).
You'll have your own backend login to the XPRIZE portal, through which you can release modules and see how students are responding to prompts and progressing through the course.
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The XPRIZE Connect program is flexible and dynamic, with the option to tailor its delivery at your school's discretion.
Typically, schools will select a particular class or subject in which they roll out the program. Some schools choose to integrate the program into their curriculum as additional learning to complete after school, opting for 20-30 minute in-class check-ins to discuss the program and its activities as they progress.
While students take the lessons individually and can complete most of the activities on their own, we recommend completing the activities collaboratively to get the most out of the program. Ideally, it’s best to split your class into teams to support collaboration, creative thinking and the development of the final pitches.
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The program is flexible as you need it to be! Schools can implement the program and deliver the content at a time that best suits their class scheduling.
Note: While the delivery milestones are flexible, the key date to work towards is 5 December, when students must submit their final XPRIZE pitch. An award ceremony will subsequently take place at UNSW the following week (event details to come).
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More of a visual learner? See the how-to guide from XPRIZE in video format, covering:
- Assigning lessons
- How to bulk upload users
- How to create a class
- Individually adding learners and educators
Other FAQs
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What are the workshops?
The UNSW-led workshops will contextualise the XPRIZE Connect program and share the skills required to succeed. In the introductory workshop, we'll ensure both you and your students feel confident in the next steps of your XPRIZE journey.Timing
The workshops are delivered in a 1-hour window and will be led by current UNSW students.Scheduling
In terms of scheduling, we are flexible and will work within your available timeframes. We suggest conducting the initial workshop within the first two weeks of commencing the XPRIZE Program to complement the ‘starting’ phase. -
As a UNSW partner school, there are no costs associated with your involvement in the XPRIZE program, including the in-person workshops and online modules.
We also invite participating schools to attend a free award ceremony to recognise and celebrate students’ participation at UNSW’s Kensington campus. This event will be open to teachers, students and their parents.
XPRIZE Connect isn't just a program - it's a call to action for young people everywhere to believe in their potential, harness their ingenuity, and help shape the world of tomorrow.