Join the Western Community in solving
real-world problems at The President's Challenge!
A message from the President
In Western’s strategic plan, Towards Western at 150, we challenged our community to act boldly in the face of grand challenges and to find innovative solutions. The President’s Challenge is a call to action for students to bring their brightest ideas to the table.
Dr. Alan Shepard, President & Vice-Chancellor
Ideas to shape the world
The President's Challenge welcomes innovative minds to share solutions that address the most pressing challenges facing our society. As we embark on this exciting journey, we encourage you to form teams of two to four members, pooling your diverse skills and perspectives to craft ground-breaking solutions that could change lives. Imagine the impact your ideas could have on a global scale.
How it works: A platform for innovation
Open to all Western, Huron, and King's students, The President's Challenge invites interdisciplinary teams to develop innovative solutions to the critical issues facing our society. This competition is carefully designed to enhance your academic, oral presentation, and entrepreneurial skills, all while fostering a spirit of action on global issues. By presenting your unique ideas to a panel of academic and community leaders, you are not just competing; you are actively contributing to positive change.
The 2026 President's Challenge
The benefits of physical activity improving an individual's overall health are well known. However, data shows that Canadians are leading increasingly sedentary lives. A 2022 World Health Organization study showed that 37.2% of Canadian adults were physically inactive with trends showing this could increase to over 41% by 2030.
Sedentary behaviors have wide-ranging adverse impacts on the human body, including increased all-cause mortality, cardiovascular disease mortality, cancer risk, and risks of metabolic disorders such as diabetes mellitus, hypertension, and dyslipidemia; musculoskeletal disorders such as arthralgia and osteoporosis; depression; and cognitive impairment. Therefore, reducing sedentary behaviors and increasing physical activity are important to promoting public health and reducing the strain on our healthcare system.
The 2026 President's Challenge is calling on students to create solutions that encourage Canadians to be more physically active. Solutions could focus on individuals, communities, and systems targeting various age groups as a way to promote and incentivize well-being, all with the goal of improving the health of all Canadians.
Global Inactivity on the Rise
National, regional, and global trends in insufficient physical activity among adults
The 'Silent threat’ to Healthcare
Physical inactivity a ‘silent threat’ as countries, including Canada, off track
Workshop #1
Understanding the Challenge
Workshop #2
Solution Frameworks
Competition Rules
Competition Rules
Prizes, How to Apply and Important Dates
Prizes:
Organized by the Western Morrissette Institute for Entrepreneurship Powered by Ivey Business School, the competition includes a top prize of $10,000. The following are the prizes for The President’s Challenge:
- Cash prizes: $10,000, $5,000, and $2,500 for first, second, and third-placed teams, respectively;
- Travel will be covered for the top three teams to participate at the Winner's Network Reception;
- and finalists may have the opportunity to explore their solutions further - either through research, white papers, or assistance in building new ventures.
The President's Challenge is open to all Western, Huron, and King's students.
How to apply:
The Intent-to-Compete form for The President's Challenge will close on Tuesday, February 3rd at 11:59 PM. All student teams must complete our Intent-to-Compete form to be part of the competition.
Teams chosen for The President's Challenge will need to provide a completed proposal for the final part of the competition. Specific criteria for the proposal and presentations will be updated shortly.
For more details on eligibility, please read the Competition Rules.
Important dates & deadlines:
Panel, Reception, and Info Session: January 28, 2026
Workshop Series: Saturday, January 31, 2026
Intent to Compete Deadline: February 3, 2026
Speed Mentoring: February 24, 2026
Executive Summary and Video Proposal Due: February 27, 2026
Pitch Workshop: March 6, 2026
Western Finals: March 18, 2026
President’s Challenge Winner's Reception in Toronto: March 30, 2026