Presidio Graduate School announced today a call for applicants for the Fall 2014 Big Idea Prize. The competition awards a full-ride scholarship to a Presidio degree program for the best "Big Idea" to move the needle in sustainability.

The first Big Idea Prize was awarded in December 2013 to PGS MBA Candidate Hilary Abell for her idea Project Equity, a worker-owned cooperative business development initiative to create high quality jobs for people living in poverty in the Bay Area.

“Presidio Graduate School has a history of helping students crystalize and implement out-of-the-box ideas for sustainability,” said William Shutkin, President and CEO, Presidio Graduate School. “Now, we’re looking for someone with the next big idea in sustainability or social change to welcome to our fall 2014 degree program and to a community of big, bold thinkers. We know that sometimes it takes unreasonable ideas to turn the tide in an industry or even an entire society. That’s why we established the Big Idea Prize.”

Community leaders, businesses, and organizations are invited to participate in the process by nominating people to apply for the prize. To nominate someone for the “Big Idea” prize, visit http://bit.ly/PGSBigIdea for more information.

The competition will be judged by a panel of PGS faculty and alumni. The judges will evaluate the submissions based on clarity of the Big Idea; personal passion, courage, and leadership skills of the applicant to make the Big Idea a reality; scale and specificity of the potential economic, environmental, and/or social impact; as well as feasibility, sustainability, and the originality of the proposed Big Idea. Special consideration will be given to entrants with ideas related to Presidio’s focus areas, including:

• Cleantech and Renewable Energy
• Impact Investing
• Sustainable Food and Agriculture
• Sustainable Leadership
• Sustainable Urban Development

Entrants must be an applicant to one of Presidio’s degree programs or a current student. Submissions are due May 15, 2014 for a Fall 2014 program start. For full details on eligibility and the application process, visit http://bit.ly/PGSBigIdea.

About Presidio Graduate School:
Ranked the world’s #1 sustainability graduate program in 2013, Presidio Graduate School was founded in San Francisco in 2003. With almost 700 business and public administration alumni at the forefront of the field, Presidio is a global hub for sustainability innovation and impact, helping forge a new sector at the intersection of for-profit and for-benefit. For more information, visit www.presidioedu.org.

Presidio Graduate School

Presidio Graduate School

Founded in 2002, Presidio Graduate School (PGS) is a values-driven graduate school offering MBA, MPA, and Dual MBA/MPA degree programs and Professional Certificates in Sustainable Solutions. All courses in the first of its kind curriculum integrate social justice, environmental responsibility, and systems thinking.

A world-class faculty academy of full and part-time scholar-practitioners possess subject matter expertise across the full spectrum of sustainability disciplines. With over 1900 business and public administration alumni at the forefront of the field, PGS is a global hub for sustainability innovation and regenerative impact, helping forge a new definition of the common good at the intersection of for-profit and for-benefit. Learn more about PGS programs, people, and impact at presidio.edu.

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