Do You Have an Idea that Could Transform Education across the World?

Houghton Mifflin Harcourt invites entries from Ireland to Global Education Challenge

$250,000 in cash and prizes for breakthrough innovations in education
          
Global education leader Houghton Mifflin Harcourt (HMH) today launched the HMH Global Education Challenge, inviting individuals to submit game-changing ideas with the potential to dramatically improve primary and second-level education worldwide. Hosted on a collaborative online platform, the Challenge enables entrants to submit an idea for evaluation by the community and a panel of expert judges.  Entrants will have a chance to win from a pool of $250,000 in cash and prizes. Winning ideas will also be considered for development and ongoing financial investment from HMH.

Fiona O’Carroll, Executive Vice President, New Ventures and Innovation Group, based in the Company’s R&D headquarters in Dublin, said that the integration of new technologies across the education sector has become a focus for countries all over the world. “Education is not just about providing world-class content; it’s about providing students and teachers with the resources to create an individualised learning experience. HMH established its R&D facility in Dublin to tap into the highly educated workforce and culture of creativity available here. We’re hoping this contest will support Ireland in taking a leadership position in the next wave of innovation in education.”

HMH created the Global Education Challenge to rally innovators worldwide to share creative ideas to address the issues inhibiting student achievement and identify solutions that can foster change by impacting one of three key areas: student learning, family engagement and teacher effectiveness. These could include ideas for anything from a new software tool or mobile app, to a service for students, parents or teachers, to a completely new educational technology.

Using the Global Education Challenge platform, educators, thought leaders, parents — and anyone interested in improving global education systems — can engage in conversation about education issues, submit ideas, comment and vote on other submissions, and build upon ideas submitted by others. Community voting and commenting will help drive the most promising ideas to the top of the stack. Entries will be evaluated by the judges based on uniqueness, impact and adaptability.

Michael Muldowney, CEO of HMH said: “Schools and the tools they use are becoming more disconnected from the students they serve every single day. There is a critical need for fresh, creative thinking to improve global educational systems. The Global Education Challenge brings anyone with a great idea into the discussion — whether the innovator is a classroom teacher, a school principal, a parent or an academic, no matter where they are in the world. We’re looking for ways to dramatically improve results, while extending educational opportunities to every child globally.”

The Challenge judging panel will be comprised of a diverse group of thought leaders, including:

• Steven Anderson, Educator, Author of The Web 2.0 Connected Classroom
• Bill Bennett, Former U.S. Secretary of Education
• Joe Blatt, Senior Lecturer in Education and Faculty Director of the Technology, Innovation and Education Program at the Harvard Graduate School of Education
• Michael Horn, Executive Director, Education - Innosight Institute
• Fiona O’Carroll, Executive Vice President, New Ventures/Innovation Group at Houghton Mifflin Harcourt
• Marwan Marouf Mahmoud, Executive Director, ICT Industry Development Division, ictQATAR
• Anthony Salcito, Vice President of Education at Microsoft
• Phoenix Wang, Co-Founder & Managing Director, Startl
• Bob Wise, President of the Alliance for Excellent Education and Former Governor of West Virginia

“As a leading education company with a truly global network, HMH is uniquely positioned to champion great ideas and for the best potential solutions, provide funding and development support to actually get them into the hands of students, families and teachers,” Muldowney said.

HMH will be giving a total of $250,000 in total cash and prizes as part of the Global Education Challenge, including a $100,000 cash prize for the winning entrant and $25,000 for second place. HMH will award additional prizes — including iPads and Amazon.com gift cards — during the Global Education Challenge. In alignment with the goal of supporting student achievement, HMH will also make donations of fiction, nonfiction and reference titles, on behalf of selected winners, to a K–12 school of their choosing. In addition to winning prizes for the best ideas, participants will be eligible to win prizes based on the reputation they earn on the platform as well as through random drawings of eligible participants.

Would-be participants can join the conversation by visiting www.globaleducationchallenge.com. After creating a login, participants can submit an idea, view and provide commentary on other submissions and learn more about the Challenge and the issues it aims to address. Challenge entries will be accepted from May 19 through July 15. Winners will be announced in September. Entrants will retain rights to all ideas submitted. Full Challenge Terms and Conditions can be found at www.globaleducationchallenge.com.

About Houghton Mifflin Harcourt 

With education products and services used by 57 million students throughout all 50 U.S. states and 120 countries, Houghton Mifflin Harcourt is a global education and learning company. The world's largest provider of materials for pre-K–12 learning, Houghton Mifflin Harcourt is leading the way with innovative solutions and approaches to the challenges facing education today. Through curricula excellence coupled with technology innovations and professional services, Houghton Mifflin Harcourt collaborates with school districts, administrators, teachers, parents and students, providing interactive, results-driven learning solutions. Its Educational Consulting Services group works to increase student achievement in underperforming schools by developing, implementing and supporting education transformation through sustained district partnerships.  With origins dating back to 1832, the Company also publishes an extensive line of reference works and award-winning literature for adults and young readers. For more information, visit www.hmhco.com.

CONTACT:

Emma Doherty
Corporate Communications Manager
Houghton Mifflin Harcourt

Tel: 086 0462166
emma.doherty@hmhpub.com