Who Can Apply?
Any CPS faculty or staff member can apply on behalf of their school.
School teams typically include 3-7 members, drawing from administrators, faculty, staff, students, parents, and other community partners.
Past participants in The Fund's Summer Design Program, Coach Design to Implement, or any past Design Challenge are strongly encouraged to apply.
How Do I Get Involved?
Recruit a team from your school.
Register for the 2025 Design Challenge to access the online learning platform, free live webinars, and expert coaching.
Submit your deliverables any time between January 27, 2025 and the final deadline of April 9, 2025 (5:00 PM CT). Teams can work at their own pace to meet this final deadline.
What Do I have To Do?
Identify a design opportunity as a team that impacts students, caregivers, faculty, or community members.
Conduct empathy research (interviews, observations, and 'shadow a student' experiences) to refine your design opportunity.
Brainstorm and prototype solutions, then submit three milestone deliverables documenting your progress.
Completing all three Milestones makes your team eligible for up to $10,000 in prizes, plus a $1,000 priority focus area award.
Tell Me More About the Prizes
The Fund will award a total of $50,000, with the top five teams invited to a live Pitch Competition on May 8, 2025. All Finalist schools that present will be eligible for a base prize of $5,000, with awards as follows: $10,000 for the top high school $10,000 for the top elementary or middle school One $2,500 Community Choice Award Three $5,000 Awards Given to Finalists not receiving a Grand Prize
Three $2,500 Honorable Mentions for Semi-Finalists not presenting at the Pitch Competition
Six $1,000 Priority Investment Awards (finalist or non-finalists) for special focus areas:
Design Thinking in the Arts
Artificial Intelligence (AI) Innovations
Principal-Teacher Trust
Teacher-Parent Trust
Parent Involvement
English Language Learners
School teams may be eligible for a $5,000-$10,000 prize at the Pitch Competition, and an additional $1,000 Priority Investment Award, but all submitting schools are eligible for the Priority Investment and Community Choice Awards.
What Are The Dates and Deadlines?
The 2025 Design Challenge runs January 27-April 9, 2025 (5:00 PM CT).
Milestone deliverables can be submitted at your own pace within this window.
Recommended professional learning and coaching dates will be provided upon registration. All teams are invited to request coaching and milestone submission review and feedback prior to April 9, 2025.
Do I Need to Attend All Live Webinars and Coaching?
Attendance is not required for scoring eligibility, but highly recommended. Webinars cover design thinking best practices and milestone tips.
Coaching can be available for any teams participating at any point during the Design Challenge. These sessions can help teams clarify deliverables, support the team's design work, or receive feedback. Coaching sessions are flexible and can be scheduled outside of normal sessions if needed.
If the available coaching times do not work for your team, reach out to Tara Curry-Jahn by email to find an alternative schedule.
Who Should I Contact for More Information?
For questions on the website, please reach out to the Heights customer support or Tatyana Parks.
For questions on the Design Challenge, reach out to Tara Curry-Jahn or E.J. Dubinsky.