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ReImagine Our Future (Ongoing)

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Description

The Reimagine Our Future competition invites undergraduate students to tackle sustainability challenges they care about, with the potential for real-world impact. Participants will select and conduct research on a problem, and, with the limited guidance of an expert, propose actionable recommendations in the form of a concise 1 to 3-page factsheet—no lengthy reports required!

With around 200 teams participating annually, this is a unique opportunity to win one of twelve prizes totaling $8,500 and receive professional mentoring on your project implementation. Students from any major are welcome to enter, either individually or as part of a team. This is an excellent opportunity to collaborate across disciplines, enhance your creative and critical thinking skills, and discover how YOU can help Reimagine Our Future.

Submissions - by November 20.

Award ceremony - December 7 (open to all!)

Background

The Reimagine Our Future originated in the summer of 2020 amidst global crises including COVID-19, continuing climate change, a looming energy crisis, and social unrest. Professors Robert McKim, Leon Liebenberg, and Warren Lavey discussed how to make students more aware and ready to tackle major social, economic, and environmental challenges through the lens of sustainability and the UN’s Sustainable Development Goals. They decided to create a new extracurricular competition.

The competition was launched in fall 2021 at UIUC, inviting students to create solution-oriented factsheets on sustainability issues they cared about. UIUC’s provost sent a video message to all faculty and students promoting the competition: “A sustainable future is everyone’s business. Each one of us must do our part. We have no time to waste”.

With help from faculty, alumni, and other volunteers as advisors and judges, many students joined the project. An average of 200 teams have participated every year since 2021. In 2023, Reimagine Our Future expanded to include universities and community colleges from the USA, UK, Austria, Ukraine, and more. In 2024, more universities joined, and the competition now offers twelve prizes totaling $8,500, sponsored by private individuals and various entities at the University of Illinois, Urbana-Champaign.

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Project Team

  • Primary Contact:

    Leon Liebenberg, leonl@illinois.edu

    Project Leader:

    Leon Liebenberg, leonl@illinois.edu

    Team Members:

    • Leon Liebenberg
    • Warren Lavey
    • Codie Sterner
    • Sandra Voskoboynikova
    • Allie Garlin

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Project details last updated on: 12/3/2025. Check Project Updates for recent activity.