WASHINGTON, DC — The McCain Institute at Arizona State University (McCain Institute), EdVenture Partners, and Credence Management Solutions LLC launched their spring 2023 iteration of Invent2Prevent, a national student competition to identify new, whole-of-society approaches to prevent targeted violence, hate, and terrorism.
Invent2Prevent, a Department of Homeland Security Center for Prevention Programs and Partnerships funded initiative, is an experiential learning program that challenges students at the high school and collegiate levels to create and implement peer-developed initiatives, products, or tools to address targeted violence and acts of hate or terrorism in their specific communities. Since Invent2Prevent’s inception in Spring 2021, more than 700 students in 111 collegiate programs across 32 states and Washington D.C. and 54 high school programs across 20 states have participated.
As part of its mandate to encourage and nurture character-driven leadership, the McCain Institute at Arizona State University seeks to create programs that address some of our country’s most timely and intractable challenges. “Each new semester of Invent2Prevent reminds us that our nation’s youth have a unique understanding of challenges facing communities across the United States,” said Brette Steele, Senior Director for Preventing Targeted Violence at the McCain Institute. “Through Invent2Prevent, we are empowering our youth to face these challenges and provide solutions that are inherently designed to engage our younger generations and provide resources and information in ways we may never have considered. And what we see time and time again is that our youth are eager and capable of rising to this challenge.”
With over 30 years of experience in the experiential learning marketplace, EdVenture Partners has built its reputation on providing students with exceptional opportunities to hone valuable skill sets while developing creative solutions to real world problems for a diverse set of clients. “As Invent2Prevent heads into its fifth iteration, it’s amazing to see the excitement brewing within this new group of students,” said Tony Sgro, CEO of EdVenture Partners. “The caliber of the projects we continue to see, the enthusiasm and commitment from students and faculty each academic year, and the outpouring of support at the federal, state, local, and community levels has far surpassed our wildest dreams. Across the board, what we continue to hear is that this program is important, that the youth voice and their unique problem-solving abilities need this platform, and that our communities across the nation are better off because of the projects our students create. There is truly no greater joy than watching how Invent2Prevent students create innovative solutions to pave the way to a brighter tomorrow.”
The 23 universities fielding teams for the spring 2023 semester are:
American University ● Boise State University ● Brigham Young University ● Embry Riddle Aeronautical University ● Fayetteville State University ● George Washington University ● Indiana University South Bend ● Johns Hopkins University ● Missouri State University ● Morgan State University ● Southern University and Agricultural and Mechanical College ● Southern University Law Center ● Stevenson University ● Texas Christina University ● University of Akron ● University of Chicago ● University of Massachusetts Amherst ● University of North Dakota ● University of Rhode Island ● University of Southern California ● Virginia State University ● Wright State University ● Xavier University of Louisiana ●
The 36 high schools fielding teams for the spring 2023 semester are:
Admiral William F. Halsey Jr. Health and Public Safety Academy ● Barack Obama Green Charter High School ● Burlington City High School ● Burlington Township High School ● Deerfield High School ● Clifton High School ● East Orange STEM Academy ● Euclid High School ● Franklin High School ● Freedom Prep Charter School ● Glassboro High School ● Hammonton High School ● Humphreys County High School/ Yazoo City High School ● Irvington High School ● J. Christian Bollwage Finance Academy ● Jacksonville Lighthouse Charter School ● Leander High School ● Lodi High School ● Mansfield Legacy High School ● Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School ● Marysville High School ● McLain High School of Science and Technology ● New Brunswick High School ● Newton High School ● Ocean Township High School ● Passaic County Technical Institute ● Penns Grove High School ● Plainfield Academy for the Arts and Advanced Studies ● Plainfield High School ● Pompano Beach High School ● Raritan High School ● Roosevelt High School ● Saddle Brook High School ● Southern Garrett High School ● Thomas Jefferson Arts Academy ● Warren Hills Regional High School ●
Follow the progress of the I2P teams this semester on social media the @invent2prevent accounts on Twitter, Facebook, LinkedIn, and Instagram.