Early Bird

Take the Water Innovation Design Challenge

The campuswide competition aims to create innovative projects to build a healthier environment.

By Siet Milne-Wright

May 15, 2019

The One World One Water Center is looking for a few fresh, sparkling water innovations.

Through a grant from the Colorado Water Conservation Board, the OWOW Center is hosting the Water Innovation Design Challenge, a campuswide competition challenging students to create innovative projects that will encourage water stewardship at Metropolitan State University of Denver and across the state. The competition will be held during the fall semester and will highlight key water issues related to climate change, drought, wildfire, rapid growth, water conservation and more.

“This competition is interdisciplinary, and the possibilities are endless, which is exciting,” said Nona Shipman, assistant director of OWOW.

As such, faculty and students from all areas of study are invited to submit ideas. Projects and innovations must relate to an area of the Colorado Water Plan and/or the Auraria Campus Water Action Plan (currently in development) but can take many forms. Ideas can include digital storytelling, art, technology, literature, music composition and more — providing they fall within one of four categories:

1. Fun and creative: Inspire the public and campus community to engage with, relate to and/or view water in a new way.
2. Innovative technology: Apply a novel technology that addresses one or more water issues.
3. Design challenge: Reimagine our built environment by designing with water efficiency, water quality and resiliency as priorities.
4. Research and analysis: Explore a water-research area and provide analysis to inform decision-making.

Participating departments, faculty and students will roll out projects during the fall semester, and winners will be announced in the spring semester following the evaluation of results and impacts. Cash prizes will be awarded to the top three projects:

• First — $1,000
• Second— $500
• Third — $500

The competition is the result of several years of collaboration between the OWOW Center and the Brendle Group and is a component of the Colorado Water Collaboratory, supported by the Colorado Water Conservation Board. To learn more, contact Shipman.