WorldDenver World Affairs Challenge engages students to tackle global issues

Approximately 750 students from nine countries took part in WorldDenver's World Affairs Challenge.

On Thursday night Colorado teams showed off their projects at the Tivoli Student Union on the Auraria Campus in Denver, while international teams sent in their presentations via video.

The Challenge encourages middle and high school students to develop project-based solutions to global challenges, such as the need to reduce waste.

One of the winning teams created sustainable shoe packaging using coffee grounds and biodegradable thickening agents. The students created the shoe packaging for Boulder-based Newton Running.

Participant Morgan Lindsey said, "Plastic and packaging is everywhere. We use it every day.  It's mostly single-use and most of it just gets thrown away.  It produces a massive amount of waste and we want to eliminate that waste in any way we can."

The WorldDenver World Affairs Challenge helps young people develop leadership skills and learn about international affairs. The Colorado teams worked with students from as far away as Iraq and Nigeria. Students also participated from Turkey, Morocco, France, Uganda and Ghana.

Students are encouraged to work with local small businesses or nongovernmental organizations, subject-matter experts to learn about the root causes of a specific global issue, and how it impacts communities around the world in different ways.