Introduction

Introduction 

Students across Europe will be invited to participate by submitting ideas upon accessibility. These ideas will be evaluated by experts in the field and members of the AccessCoVE, and will be projected in national and European school networks through relative actions for diffusion and public awareness.  

The main difference between IC and its predecessor “Inventive Students” is that participants will have the opportunity to submit their ideas not only to support and improve the quality of life of their peers with disabilities but generally to support the accessibility for all people facing any type of disability. 

General Information 

  • Electronic/Online International Competition through AccessCoVE website. 
  • Competition Language: English 
  • Target Group: Students aged 12-18 from all high schools of any type (public & private) 

Goals/Objectives 

  • Based on the Greek Initiative, the AccessCoVE aims to expand the implementation of the IC in a European context. In particular, AccessCoVE aims to implement the competition, on an annual basis, at least in all PPs’ countries – Greece, Italy, Spain, Sweden. 
  • Students start to develop skills and transform their ideas upon accessibility into innovative products and services aimed at enhancing accessibility for all individuals, regardless of their abilities or backgrounds. 
  • Students of secondary education from the same or different countries can join their forces and/or compete each other for this purpose. 
  • Spread awareness on accessibility and reinforce an inclusive society for all. 

Why Participation Is Important 

There are several reasons why high school students might choose to participate in the IC (indicative/not exhaustive list): 

  • Develop Programming and Problem-Solving Skills: The IC is designed to challenge students and help them develop their programming and problem-solving skills in Accessibility. These skills can be valuable in many fields, including IT, rehabilitation, assistive technology, engineering, etc. Thus, they are able to develop their technical skills and knowledge and further their interest in Accessibility. 
  • Preparation for Competitions: The IC can help students prepare for other Competitions. The IC stresses its support network and resources, thus they are able to develop their skills as mentioned previously, and participate in other national and international Competitions. 
  • Applications for Post Secondary Education: Participating in the IC can demonstrate a student’s interest and expertise in IT, rehabilitation, assistive technology, mechanical engineering etc. Thus, participating in the IC shows their personal drive and interest in the field of Accessibility which can be proven extremely helpful for future college and/or university applications in related fields. 
  • Networking: Students who participate in the IC can meet (online) other like-minded students who share their passion for promoting innovative ideas in the field of Accessibility, which allows them to share and develop ideas and shared knowledge, and have potential connections in the future with like-minded individuals. They also develop a close connection with their school advisors/mentors that leads their IC Committee, which could lead to a strong personal relationship for a future recommendation letter. 
  • Innovation and Entrepreneurship: The IC encourages entrepreneurial thinking. Students learn to think outside the box, develop business plans, and understand the process of taking an idea from conception to implementation. 
  • Pan-European Perspective: The IC is pan-European. This denotes that interacting with participants from different countries and cultures across Europe broadens their understanding of diverse perspectives and approaches to problem-solving. 

 

Eligibility 

Students who are enrolled in public or private schools from secondary education established2 in: 

  1. Greece, Italy, Spain, Sweden – PPs Countries 
  1. Other European Countries 

 

Applications 

Applications can be submitted by: 

  • Individual students  
  • Teams up to 5 students per school 
  • Schemes of 2 to 4 teams from European Countries with at least 1 team come from PPs’ Counties. In this case, each school should be represented by one team. 

 

Beneficiaries – End Users 

  • All citizens or residents or visitors, regardless of age, from every part of the world. 

Considerations for All Applicants  

  • All applications must be submitted on time through the Competition’s web portal. 
  • Incomplete applications will be disqualified. 
  • Each applicant/team submit only one application. 
  • Applications may not be sent via e-mail. 
  • The IC runs all applications through plagiarism detection software. 
  • Applicants must be 12 to 18 years old when the application is submitted. 
  • Teams must not be more than five (5) students per school. 
  • Participation in the IC is free of charge. 
  • One supervisor must be corresponding to each application submitted by one team or individual by the same school. The Supervisor must be a teacher from participating school(s).  

In case of bilateral or multilateral schemes (between teams from the same or different countries), the number of supervisors should be equivalent to teams’ number. 

  • All projects/proposals from the contestants will be published on the Competition’s website. Additionally, all videos will be available on the YouTube channel of the IC. For the publication of the projects, a Responsible Declaration will be required from the supervisor of the team or student, stating that they consent to the project being published in electronic or print media. 
  • All competitors will earn a Certificate of Participation.