In partnership with the University of Chicago’s Institute of Politics, the Center for Public Deliberation and Straayer Center are working together to host a Policy Challenge at Colorado State University. Student teams of 2-4 are welcome to join this challenge and work together to draft a policy proposal for a public issue. You can read the full prompt for the challenge here.

1. Who is eligible to participate?

• • This contest is open to all current Colorado State University students.

2. Is past experience in the subject area required to participate?

• • No prior policy background or coursework is required. Just bring your well-seasoned ideas

3. How many people can join a team?

• • Teams must have a minimum of two members and a maximum of four.

4. What is the process to participate in a policy challenge?

• • Attend an info session on Sept 10th from 5:00-6:00pm to answer any questions you may have. At least one team member must attend this meeting.
  • Register your team by filling out this survey by Sept 24^th at 11:59 pm. There are no limits on the number of teams that register, but a maximum of 15 teams will present at the first round event. Interdisciplinary teams are highly encouraged!
  • Participate in competition mentor office hours (optional) between Sept 24th & Oct 7th.
  • Submit your team’s proposal by November 5^th at 11:59 pm. The policy challenge organizers will provide each team with all the documents they’ll need to format their proposal.
  • Share the team’s slide deck to Sabrina Slagowski-Tipton by 11:59 pm on November 16^th.  A presentation template will be provided to all teams.
    • (email: Sabrina.Slagowski-Tipton@colostate.edu)
  • Attend and present at pitch mixer on November 19^th at 5:00 pm. Each team will select a presentation slot of six minutes – three minutes to present and three minutes for judges to ask follow-up questions. The link to select a presentation time will be sent Thursday, November 6th. All members of a team do not need to be present at the pitch mixer. The judges will announce the final three teams at the pitch mixer, and then after a short break will reconvene with final questions and select the winning team.

5. What are competition mentors?

• • To help refine proposals, teams are encouraged to meet with competition mentors. Mentors are a mix of faculty, staff, and practitioners with extensive experience and knowledge in the subject. Information will be shared once teams have registered.

6. How many one-on-one meetings can each team have with the competition mentors?

• • Each team will be able to meet with one mentor for one 30-minute session. Mentor availability will vary.

7. How long can the proposal be?

• • No more than two pages single spaced with a minimum of 10-point font and standard margins. Supporting graphics and a works cited page will not count toward the page count.

8. How are proposals judged?

• • Purpose: Have you clearly outlined how your team’s proposal will answer the challenge prompt?
  • Impact: Are all stakeholders identified and included in the development of the proposal?
  • Sustainability: Is this a realistic long-term solution?
  • Process: Has your team identified a timeline, proponent, and opponents for the proposal?
  • Creativity: Is your proposal a fresh take on the issue?
  • Financing: Does your plan clearly identify how it will be financed?
  • Presentation: Was the proposal clearly articulated? Was the team able to answer judges’ questions?
  • Overall Quality: Is the evidence well researched? Is the problem well-articulated? Does the proposal follow the evidence? Are all the elements (need, evidence, solution, financing, method of enactment) included? Were citations provided?

9. Can edits be made to proposals after it has been submitted?

• • If the submission deadline has not yet passed, you can resubmit an edited proposal once. No edits will be accepted past the deadline.

10. Can edits to presentation decks be made after it has been submitted?

• • If the submission deadline has not yet passed, you can resubmit an edited proposal once. No edits will be accepted past the deadline.

11. Is there a template for the proposal?

• • Yes, teams will be provided a template once they’re selected for the challenge.

12. Is a visual presentation required?

• • No, however, we have found teams find using a slide deck to be useful. The judges will have already read each team’s proposal prior to the pitch presentation.

13. Is there a template for the presentation deck?

• • Yes, teams will be provided a template once they’re selected for the challenge.

14. Can there be changes to a team’s composition after registration?

• • Teammates can be removed, but no one can be added once a team has registered. All changes must be flagged for Sabrina Slagowski-Tipton (Sabrina.Slagowski-Tipton@colostate.edu)

15. What does the winning team receive?

• • The winning team from CSU’s campus will travel to Chicago February 15-17^th, 2026 to compete in the National Policy Challenge at the University of Chicago. Travel costs will be covered for all team members. If your team wins the National Challenge, each team member receives $500. The top three teams will also present their proposals at CSU’s 2026 Democracy Summit in the Spring.