To participate in the annual High School Challenge, we are asking 8th-12th grade teachers or an adult who can serve as a mentor to 8th-12th grade student teams to encourage students to assemble a team (recommended size: 5-8 students) either as a class project, a service project for a school club, or a group of like-minded peers, to brainstorm ideas to improve community, to choose a Challenge sector—Education, The Arts, History/Culture, The Environment, Health, or Wildcard—and to work collaboratively to propose a creative and realistic solution to a NH community challenge.

We encourage students to follow their passion and chose a project in any sector that is personally meaningful to them.

Step One - Encourage students to assemble a team by:

• Selecting 5-8 students from your classes
• Creating a club
• Hand picking students throughout your school.

Step Two - Register online at www.seslchallenge.org

• Once the mentor registers the team, team members will receive a welcome email and be able to log on to the site and access additional resources and program information. Each team also has a password protected private team area in which members can stay connected and share information and resources.

Step Three - Facilitate an idea generation session:

• Have students complete the brainstorming worksheet before the SESL Kickoff in February.
• Look for needs in school, the community or the state.
• Invite business leaders and/or civic groups to talk with the team to help raise awareness of local, regional or statewide issues.
• Attend the SESL Networking Kickoff in February, which will help teams hone their ideas.

Step Four - Be an Effective Mentor:

• Let students be the creative engine to their idea.
• Meet at least weekly with the team to hear project updates, to encourage students, and to help problem solve or act as a resource as needed.
• Encourage the team to meet at least twice a week at a convenient time for all students involved.
• Remind students to stay connected and share resources/ideas/urls via the private team area on the SESL website.
• Find a safe and workable place for students to meet in person.
• Stress commitment and accountability.
• Be a guide/facilitator. Reinforce that SESL is a student-directed and student-led challenge and that your role is to be a sounding board and resource for the team.

Step Five - Attend the SESL High School Kickoff with your team:

• The SESL Challenge Kickoff, which is free to all registered teams, includes lunch and program materials. During the Round Table Speed Networking segment of the day, student teams network with business leaders from around the state, get feedback on their project idea(s), hear suggestions about other resources into which they might tap, strategize about next steps in managing their project.
• During the SESL Challenge, teams and their mentors have access to online resources of best practices in various areas, including Innovative Thinking, Project and Time Management, Effective Presentation Skills, Budget Preparation and Fundraising. These resources offer students an opportunity to hear and learn from business presenters who are leaders in these fields.
• Teams are also encouraged to participate in a statewide webinar in mid-March, where teams can share updates on their projects, ask questions they may have about their project, and chat with other participating NH teams.