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Share your ideas for a chance to win cash!

MCAN is seeking high-impact ideas for how Michigan can move closer to achieving Sixty by 30.

For MCAN’s second annual pitch competition, individuals will present an idea that has the potential to impact Michigan’s college attainment rate. The top three finalists will all win a cash prize up to $5,000 for their inspiring ideas! Don’t worry — you won’t be responsible for implementing the idea or demonstrating impact.

Informational Webinar: An informational webinar webinar will be held May 21, at 11 a.m. to review details about the pitch competition. Please consider attending to learn more! Register for the informational webinar.

Eligibility: Ideas can be submitted either by individuals or organizations (see considerations below). We welcome and encourage collaborative submissions. Entities are welcome to submit more than one pitch idea.

Timeline:

  • May 14: Two-part application is released: pitch interest form and video submission
  • May 21: Webinar for interested applicants
  • June 30: Deadline to submit a pitch interest form
  • July: Receive technical assistance from MCAN
  • August 1: Deadline to submit pitch video application
  • August 1-31: MCAN review and selection of finalists
  • September 1: Top three finalists announced
  • September – October: Finalists perfect their pitches with assistance from MCAN
  • November 4-5: Finalists present their pitches at MCAN's annual conference and winners are determined by popular vote from the audience.

Goals: To foster creativity and highlight innovative, potentially high-impact college attainment strategies in the state of Michigan. MCAN uses the term college to refer to attainment of education beyond high school, including postsecondary certificates and academic degrees. Practices may be direct service or systems change interventions.

Theme: College Still Matters

Pitch Details: We welcome ideas around any of the college attainment indicators:

  • Pathways and Transitions
  • College-Going Culture
  • Credential Completion
  • College Affordability
  • Adult Student Attainment

In particular, we welcome ideas that encourage cross-sector collaboration (K-12, higher education, workforce).

All ideas should focus on advancing equity through education with a particular emphasis on eliminating barriers and improving systems for students from low-income backgrounds, students of color, and first-generation college-going students.

Practices may fall into one or more of the following categories:

  • Innovative — practice has not been implemented yet (new idea)
  • Emerging — practice has been implemented for 0-1 year (scalable pilot)
  • Established — practice has been implemented for over 2-3 years (replicable new strategy)

Two-Part Application Process: Applicants should complete the pitch interest form ASAP. This is not the full application and is the first step in a two-part application process. The interest form gives the MCAN team information about the idea you are proposing. If MCAN has suggestions to help strengthen your pitch and ensure it’s in alignment with the big ideas we are looking for, we may provide written feedback for consideration.

The second part of the application process is the submission of your pitch idea in video form! No fancy technological skills will be required. Simply capture a short (three-minute maximum) video of yourself talking about the idea and upload it to the application site.

Technical Assistance: Optional technical assistance calls with the MCAN team are available. To set up a call with MCAN to discuss your pitch idea, reach out to Noon Bannaga at noon@micollegeaccess.org.

Considerations for Entities: We recognize that some ideas may come from the collective brain power of an organization, and some may be the thoughts of an individual. In some instances, individuals may be representing LLCs. Any of these submissions are acceptable. During the pitch presentation at the MCAN conference, only one individual per idea is allowed to present the idea onstage. There are different tax considerations if the cash prize is awarded to an individual or an organization. We will ask all finalists to submit a W9 — the entity represented on that form is the entity to whom the check will be made out to.

Cash Prize: The top three finalists will attend the MCAN conference Nov. 4-5 at the Lansing Center in downtown Lansing. MCAN will cover the registration fee.

At the conference, each finalist will present their pitch on the main stage to the conference attendees, who will vote to determine first, second, and third place ideas.

  • First place: $5,000
  • Second place: $2,500
  • Third place: $1,000

Submit Your Pitch! 

Start the two-part application process and complete the Pitch Competition interest form.

Questions? Contact Jenny McArdle at jenny@micollegeaccess.org or 517-316-1713.