For Universities

Bring the Challenge
to your campus.

The Colorado Impact Challenge is a statewide, multi-university platform — co-hosted by the University of Colorado Boulder and the Colorado School of Mines — that connects students across Colorado with real organizations and real problems.

Register Your University → How it works ↓
Ways to Participate

Four ways a campus plugs in.

Participation is flexible. A campus can join at whatever level fits its students, faculty, and calendar — the platform and program structure are shared.

Send Student Teams

Encourage your students to form interdisciplinary teams and take part in the Fall sprint alongside peers from other campuses.

Host or Co-Host Sessions

Offer campus space for the in-person kickoff or finale, or run hybrid working sessions during the focused sprint.

Bring Campus Challenges

Surface real problems from your institution, research groups, or regional partners for student teams to take on.

Join the Statewide Network

Connect your innovation, entrepreneurship, and experiential-learning efforts into a growing Colorado-wide community.

How It's Grown

From one campus to a statewide platform.

The Challenge started in 2021 as a CU Boulder-only sustainability competition. Five events and 370+ students later, it's outgrown that original scope — for 2026, Colorado School of Mines joins as a full co-host, and the problem space widens from sustainability alone to engineering, energy, materials, and more.

2021–2025
Colorado Sustainability Challenge
  • CU Boulder as sole host campus
  • Sustainability-focused problems
  • Students from CU, CSU, and DU competed
2026
Colorado Impact Challenge
  • Renamed, with Mines joining as co-host
  • Two host campuses, one shared platform
  • Scope widens to 8 impact domains
What stays the same
The core model
  • Real organizations bring real problems
  • Interdisciplinary student teams, paid bounties
  • In-person kickoff + finale, hybrid sprint between
Campus partners tabling at the 2025 event2025 · Campus energy, statewide
A student team pitching, 20252025 · Teams take the stage
The 2025 organizing team on stage at the Finals2025 · Finals night
Who Hosts the Challenge

Co-hosted by two campuses.
Open to many more.

Host campuses run the operational core — the venues for the in-person Kickoff and Celebration Dinner, staff support, and most bounty funding relationships. But the roster is open statewide: any Colorado college or university student can register for a team, regardless of which campus is hosting. For 2026, that host role is shared by the University of Colorado Boulder and the Colorado School of Mines.

2026 Host Campus

Colorado School of Mines

Joining as a 2026 host in Golden — expanding the Challenge's focus toward innovating for the physical world: energy, materials, water, and resource systems.

2021–25 Host Campus

University of Colorado Boulder

Where the Challenge began in 2021 and grew into a statewide, multi-university event — bringing together students, mentors, and civic and nonprofit partners across the Front Range.

New for 2026

Affiliate Schools

Affiliate schools are Colorado colleges and universities that commit to bringing at least 10 students to the Fall 2026 Challenge. In return, they're listed here and across Challenge materials as an official program partner.

Bring your campus in as an affiliate →

Universities that have previously participated

Colorado State University (CSU) University of Denver (DU)

Teams have come from these campuses in past events. No additional 2026 institutions are confirmed yet — if that's your campus, we'd love to hear from you.

The Format

Built for a multi-campus Colorado.

The program is designed so students from different universities can take part together — with in-person moments that bring everyone into the room, and hybrid sessions that keep it accessible in between.

In person for the kickoff and the finale —
with hybrid sessions across the focused sprint in between.

Kickoff
In Person
  • Teams meet and form
  • Challenge briefings
  • One room, every campus
The Sprint
Hybrid
  • Work sessions across campuses
  • Mentorship and check-ins
  • Designed to fit around classes
Celebration Dinner
In Person
  • Final presentations
  • Judging and bounty awards
  • Recognition for every team
Fall 2026 · Oct 20 – Nov 09

Ready to bring the Challenge to your students?

Tell us about your institution and we'll follow up with what participation looks like for your campus.

Register Your University → See what students build →
Register Your University Past Results