We believe cities across America are sitting on an untapped natural resource. It is a colorless, odorless resource that is powerful enough to build your community from the inside out. Genius Prize (GP) has embarked on a search to identify this hidden current of potential and bring it to the surface for all to recognize. This hidden resource is the untapped genius hidden in local neighborhoods across the American landscape. Through our competitions and programs, we will normalize greatness in communities by empowering local youth to recognize their genius and use their creative powers for good.
GP competitions assemble teams of youth to vie for cash, prizes, and community recognition. Youth teams produce fun dramatizations or musical performances that illustrate solutions to real-world problems. GP youth competitions shift paradigms and embolden youth to become transformational leaders in their communities. By awakening the creative potential in youth, GP helps communities discover hidden genius, activate untapped potential, and improve neighborhoods from within.
Go deep into neighborhoods to discover hidden genius in local youth.
Surround youth with support to cultivate talents and realize their potential.
When youth become the engines of grassroots change, local communities win.
We assemble a network of problem-solving competitions for youth. Local communities help to identify issues and offer support for youth-led solutions.
We encourage deep participation and family support within communities by presenting cash prizes in addition to trophies and other honors.
We map resources in local communities and across the national landscape that provide enriching activities and advance excellence in youth.
Genius Prize elevates conversations about despair in low wealth communities toward ideas about the power of youth to lead transformative grassroots initiatives through Genius Empowerment. We envision neighborhoods of engaged Geniuses leveraging resources and support to improve themselves, their families, and their communities. In so doing, youth lead the march to defeat social injustices and uplift society.
Activate dormant potential in communities by empowering youth to recognize their genius and use their powers for good.
Genius Prize problem-solving youth competitions award cash, prizes, and other honors to youth teams who make winning presentations of innovative ideas.
We invite the public to suggest issues in their communities to be addressed at Genius Prize Competitions and crowdfund support for youth-led solutions.
We raise awareness of resources in local communities and across the national landscape that provide enriching activities and advance excellence in youth.