The world is rapidly urbanizing, and according to the United Nations Department of Economic and Social Affairs, 70% of the global population will be living in cities by 2050. This unprecedented growth poses significant challenges to cities worldwide, including pollution, congestion, and inadequate housing.

In response to these challenges and the global call to action posed by the United Nations’ 2030 Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), Tata Consultancy Services (TCS) and Ultimate United have joined forces. Together, they are challenging young minds through the March goIT Monthly Challenge, empowering K-12 students to develop solutions aligned with SDG 11: Sustainable Cities and Communities.

The goIT Monthly Challenge invites young innovators from across the globe to present innovative ideas for using technology to foster sustainable development. This month, the challenge encourages them to participate in shaping the future of cities, making a lasting impact on people and the planet.

Open to students aged 6 to 18, the goIT Monthly Challenge presents a unique opportunity for youth to showcase their creativity, problem-solving abilities, and passion for sustainability and social change. To enter, participants submit their ideas in a compelling 3-minute pitch video. The strongest submissions will demonstrate their understanding of urban challenges, the potential of their proposed solutions, existing competitive solutions, and the investments and work needed to bring their ideas to life.

Innovations can be submitted by individuals or teams and must be received by March 31, 2024.

Learn more about how to enter the March goIT Monthly Challenge at: on.tcs.com/goIT-ENG.

About Ultimate United 
Ultimate United offers tangible support to families and children in need to improve their quality of life and future prospects. Founded in Hong Kong in May 2012by Vijay Partap Sharma and his wife, Kit Ling Kung, Ultimate United supports children of different nationalities and with very different socio-economic backgrounds. Their programs benefit single-parent families, asylum seekers and refugees, empowering them and reducing potential risks and challenges often faced by children as a result of negative influences in their neighborhood such as drug abuse, alcoholism, teenage/unwanted pregnancy and prostitution. Learn more at https://ultimateunited.org/.

About TCS’ goIT Digital Innovation and Career Readiness Program 
TCS’s Go Innovate Together program (goIT) is TCS’ flagship STEM education program. Focusing on digital innovation and career readiness, goIT engages students from diverse backgrounds with Science, Technology, Engineering and Math (STEM) subjects and computer science, design thinking and digital innovation. The program offers an industry-developed, customizable curriculum that teaches students the 21st century skills necessary for a career in technology. Lessons cover topics including design thinking, rapid prototyping, artificial intelligence, machine learning and more.

Since the launch of the goIT Monthly Challenge in 2020, thousands of students across the globe have used key principles from goIT to design tech-based solutions and submit pitch videos based on a Monthly Challenge theme. Each month, TCS co-hosts the event with a Sustainable Development Goal ambassador, globally minded nonprofit or a TCS client. The Challenge has engaged a growing number of teachers and students every month, exploring topics ranging from gender equality and systemic racism to protecting life under water.

Visit the goIT Monthly Challenge competition website to learn how to enter — or get your students involved — with this or upcoming challenges: https://on.tcs.com/goIT-ENG.

Tata Consultancy Services (TCS)

Tata Consultancy Services (TCS)

Tata Consultancy Services is an IT services, consulting and business solutions organization that has been partnering with many of the world’s largest businesses in their transformation journeys for over 56 years. Its consulting-led, cognitive powered, portfolio of business, technology and engineering services and solutions is delivered through its unique Location Independent Agile™ delivery model, recognized as a benchmark of excellence in software development.

A part of the Tata group, India's largest multinational business group, TCS has over 601,000 of the world’s best-trained consultants in 55 countries. The company generated consolidated revenues of US $29 billion in the fiscal year ended March 31, 2024, and is listed on the BSE and the NSE in India. TCS' proactive stance on climate change and award-winning work with communities across the world have earned it a place in leading sustainability indices such as the MSCI Global Sustainability Index and the FTSE4Good Emerging Index. For more information, visit www.tcs.com.

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