Foundation4Innovation (F4i), a project-based educational program within Santa Cruz and Monterey Counties sponsored by the Harry Singer Foundation, recently announced several challenges for students and adults to participate in to win cash prizes and prepare their ideas and innovations for launch.

Foundation4Innovation was created by Marci Keller, Principal of Diamond Technology Institute, and Dawn Fergosa who possesses over 25 years of experience with business, educational, learning, and scale-up program management.

F4i’s vision is to educate students and adults through project-based career readiness challenges that help build entrepreneurship skills, procure talent, create opportunities, showcase innovative thinkers, and build local human financial capital to rebuild and reinvest in the local labor market. 

F4i curriculum provides four educational challenges over the period of a year that are designed to teach high school, college, Career Technical Education programs students as well as any adult learners how to take their ideas and turn them into a business.

F4i recently completed their inaugural i3C challenge during COVID-19 where participants built and showcased their innovations which earned them scholarships, mentoring, professional feedback, and helped them on the first step to beginning their entrepreneurial journey.

Their next challenge, Social Media Marketing Challenge (SM2C), launches August 15th, 2021 with project submissions due November 15th, 2021. This challenge prepares participants on how to plan a year-long social media marketing scenario for an existing business. First place, second, and third place winners will receive capital scholarship prizes of $1200, $800, $500, respectively.

They are currently looking for 501c3 donations to sponsor one of their marketing challenges. Sponsors will benefit from multiple 12-month marketing scenarios, annual competition naming rights, company branding on all deliverables, and PR recognition. The Harry Singer Foundation will match funds donated. More information about the specific ways to become involved can be found here and on their Industry Partner Sponsor Form.