What is the generation gap?
The term “generation gap” describes the sociological and psychological differences between people belonging to different generations: differences in values, lifestyle, attitude, even opportunities. Sociologists differentiate between three generations: Baby Boomers (born between 1946 and 1964), Generation X (1965-1984), and Millennials (also known as Generation Y, 1985-2010).
The biggest gap exists between Millennials and their predecessors. Millennials grew up in a time where everything they needed to know or wanted to know was at their fingertips thanks to the advancement of technology. This innovative need to know, want, and do more led Millennials to obtain a skill set that is infinitely scalable compared to previous generations, mostly in terms of the ability to use technology efficiently and absorb information rapidly. However, what they lack most is what their predecessors abundantly have: experience.
What is Mind the Gap! Contest?
Mind the Gap! (MtG) is a contest challenging IEEE students in Region8 to come up with a project proposal describing an idea that helps reduce the gap between generations and bring them together. It should be feasible, useful, and beneficial to all generations.
Guidelines
The project idea shall
- Bring older and younger generations together, upon its implementation
- Be beneficial to both older and younger generations, and reflect positively on society
- Be realizable, i.e. implemented and transformed into reality, within a 6-month period
- Be realizable, within a budget of no more than 10,000 USD
The proposal shall include (Phase 1)
- A project idea that helps reduce the generation gap (as described above)
- A development of the idea, discussing the positive impact on the different age groups, and on society
- The potential challenges that could be faced during and after the project implementation
- A detailed budget estimation
- A Gantt Chart showing the project’s milestones and their estimated time of completion
- No more than 10 pages
In MtG phase II, each one of the three winning teams will be granted up to $10,000 in order to realize their project within 6 months, and effectively cover the generational gap, benefiting both younger and older generations.
Initial Timetable
- May 15, 2016: idea submission (phase 1)
- July 31, 2016: idea evaluation results (phase 1)
- August 15, 2016: winners announcement (end of phase 1)
- March 15, 2017: project realization deadline (end of phase 2).
Awards
- First place: $750
- Second place: $500
- Third place: $250
Proposals should be submitted to mtg@ieeer8.org no later than May 15th, 2016. Any team of 1 to 5 people (at least one of them being an IEEE member) is eligible to participate.
Contact Us
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/MtGR8SAC
- Website: http://mtg.ieeer8.org
- Email all submissions/questions to mtg@ieeer8.org