Students Gear Up for Second Year of Aspen Challenge: San Diego

The Aspen Challenge returns to San Diego in February, empowering student teams from 15 public schools to drive change in their communities and beyond

Contact: Ben Berliner
Aspen Institute
[email protected]

San Diego, CA, January 23, 2025- The Aspen Challenge, a program of the Aspen Institute and founded with the Bezos Family Foundation, is thrilled to announce the return of Aspen Challenge: San Diego for its second year. Partnering with San Diego Unified School District, the program empowers students from 15 high schools across the city to address critical community issues through youth-led initiatives.

On Tuesday, February 4 at Building 177, student-led teams and educators will hear from "Expert Challengers," leaders and innovators presenting challenges on key topics such as providing resources for the unhoused community of San Diego, combatting discrimination against LGBTQ+ population, ocean pollution, the way overuse of technology can negatively affect mental health and substance abuse.

"We are thrilled to announce our partnership with the Aspen Challenge, an incredible opportunity to elevate student voice, foster leadership, and inspire civic mindedness among our young people," said San Diego Unified School District Interim Superintendent Dr. Fabiola Bagula. "This initiative empowers our students to tackle real-world challenges with creativity and innovation, reminding us all that the future lies in their capable hands. Together, we are building a generation of leaders ready to shape a better world. May the youth lead the way!"

After the February forum, teams will have nine weeks to create and implement innovative solutions within their communities. They will reconvene on April 15 to present their projects at the Aspen Challenge Solution Showcase. A panel of judges will then select the Grand Prize winning team, who will travel to Aspen, Colorado in June to present their work at the Aspen Ideas Festival.

"It's wonderful to be back to San Diego for the Aspen Challenge," said Katie Fitzgerald, Managing Director of the Aspen Challenge. "I hope the country watches as the youth of San Diego once again solve some real issues we see in all communities across the country. There will be 15 mini revolutions led by teams of high school students in San Diego that will transform their community and we can't wait to witness it."

Expert Challengers and speakers include Jerry Troyer, Urban Street Angels; Aaron Ngan, The San Diego LGBT Community Center; Alex Ferron, Surfrider Foundation; Eisha Buch, Common Sense Media; Courtney Esparza, Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA).

Participating Schools:

• Canyon Hills High School
• Clairemont High School
• Crawford High School
• Patrick Henry High School
• Logan Memorial Educational Campus
• Mira Mesa High School
• Mission Bay High School
• Mt. Everest Academy
• Point Loma High School
• San Diego High School
• San Diego Metropolitan Regional and Technical High School
• San Diego SOAR Academy- Youth Transition Campus
• Scripps Ranch High School
• University City High School

The inaugural Aspen Challenge launched in collaboration with Los Angeles Unified School District in 2013. Since its inception, the Challenge has expanded to include partnerships with school districts in Denver, Washington D.C., Chicago, Philadelphia, Dallas, Louisville, Miami, New Orleans, Brooklyn, and Boston.

For more information on Aspen Challenge: San Diego or to attend as a covering member of the media, please contact: [email protected].

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The Aspen Challengeprovides inspiration, tools, and a platform for young people to design solutions to some of the most critical problems humanity faces. For more information on Aspen Challenge, please visit www.aspenchallenge.org.

The Aspen Instituteis a global nonprofit organization whose purpose is to ignite human potential to build understanding and create new possibilities for a better world. Founded in 1949, the Institute drives change through dialogue, leadership, and action to help solve society's greatest challenges. It is headquartered in Washington, DC and has a campus in Aspen, Colorado, as well as an international network of partners. For more information, visit www.aspeninstitute.org.

San Diego Unified School District is the second largest school district in California, with 175 schools, 95,011 students UTK-12, and over 17,000 employees. While the school district is largely influenced by its close proximity to the US-Mexico border, over 75 languages are spoken in schools situated in diverse suburban and urban communities. The district has a core focus on equity and belonging so all students and staff in San Diego Unified may thrive in school and beyond.

The Bezos Family Foundation envisions a world in which all young people reach their full potential and meaningfully contribute to society. The Foundation pursues that vision by making grants and by operating their own programs, with the aim of fueling the science of learning and enabling its application in a variety of settings. The Foundation's mission is to invest in the science of learning and the experiences that youth need from birth to high school to pursue their own path for success. For more information, visit www.bezosfamilyfoundation.org.