WASHINGTON, DC (September 22, 2021) The McCain Institute for International Leadership and EdVenture Partners has launched the second semester of Invent2Prevent – a national competition among universities to identify new whole-of-society approaches to preventing targeted violence and terrorism. This semester also holds the debut of the high school program in which high schools across the United States will compete in a year-long version of the Invent2Prevent program.
Unique Invent2Prevent campaigns will be developed by collegiate teams throughout the Fall semester of 2021 to create public awareness initiatives. Three university teams will be selected as finalists to compete for awards to sustain their innovations post-competition.
The Department of Homeland Security’s Center for Prevention Programs and Partnerships recognizes the value of this program and has provided full program funding to the McCain Institute for International Leadership and EdVenture Partners to support university and high school teams in the development process.
“As part of its mandate to encourage and nurture character-driven leadership, the McCain Institute for International Leadership at Arizona State University seeks to create programs that address some of our country’s most timely and intractable challenges, including targeted violence and terrorism,” said McCain Institute Senior Director for Preventing Targeted Violence Programs Brette Steele. “I am always amazed by the credible and authentic products students can build and the impact those products can have in a single semester.”
EdVenture Partners’ peer-to-peer programs empower competitions worldwide that invite university students to develop messaging and digital media campaigns to address hate, bias, and extremism.
“The reality is we need to engage young people to be part of the solution in addressing targeted violence and hate in the classroom and in their communities through unique communication campaigns,” said Tony Sgro, founder, and chief executive officer of EdVenture Partners. “We have seen how effective university students are in developing creative marketing, social and digital media to do this, and DHS rightfully believes it is time to pilot the I2P program in America’s high schools to encourage high school students to do the same. High School administrators and faculty are keen to participate, and appreciate the opportunity to have their students create I2P campaigns to help tackle this issue.”
The first year of the high-school challenge will include schools from the following states:
Alabama ● Arizona ● California ● Colorado ● Connecticut ● Florida ● Massachusetts ● New Mexico ● Ohio ● Tennessee ● Texas ● Virginia
The second semester of the university competition will include institutions from the following states:
Alabama ● Arizona ● California ● Colorado ● Connecticut ● District of Columbia ● Georgia ● Hawaii ● Idaho ● Illinois ● Indiana ● Massachusetts ● New York ● North Carolina ● North Dakota ● Pennsylvania ● South Carolina ● Tennessee ● Texas ● Vermont ● Virginia ● Washington
About EdVenture Partners
EdVenture Partners (EVP) builds academic partnerships to address social impact, marketing communications, sales, and other business-related challenges for Fortune 500 companies, governments, NGO’s, and trade associations. EVP has partnered with nearly 1,000 academic institutions in 76 countries worldwide with more than 250,000 students participating in peer-to-peer experiential learning programs.
About the McCain Institute for International Leadership at Arizona State University
Inspired by the character-driven leadership of Sen. John S. McCain and his family’s legacy of public service, the McCain Institute implements programs and initiatives to make a difference in people’s lives across a range of critical areas: leadership development, human rights, rule of law, national security, preventing targeted violence and combating human trafficking.
About Arizona State University
Arizona State University has developed a new model for the American research university, creating an institution that is committed to access, excellence and impact. ASU measures itself by those it includes, not by those it excludes. As the prototype for a New American University, ASU pursues research that contributes to the public good, and ASU assumes major responsibility for the economic, social and cultural vitality of the communities that surround it.
