Unilab Ideas Positive: A competition and advocacy in one

I am really quite amused and amazed of what kids can do this days.

Early this year, someone invented a double-headed broom to collect large debris and fine dust simultaneously. I was floored (no pun intended) when I found out from BBC that a 5-year old boy from UK named Sam Houghton invented it to help his father sweep leaves in their front yard.

Reminds of a remarkable feat accomplished last year by a group of students who called themselves Team Biggkas of the University of Asia and the Pacific (UA&P). These smart and young advocates bagged the grand prize of the Unilab Ideas Positive program for its farm-in-the-city concept. Thre group introduced teaching hydroponics gardening to mothers in Barangay San Joaquin in Pasig City (my home town) so they have their own sustainable source of vegetables within the community. Mothers made their first harvest of lettuce and kangkong in April this year. The local government of Pasig City has expressed a desire to replicate the same program in other barangays.

Inspring, right?

Well, the good news is Unilab Ideas Positive, a social marketing competition for college/university students in Metro Manila and Calabarzon areas is again accepting entries this year.

The program encourages college students who want to make a difference to form a team, and think of a solution to a community's health and wellness problems. Just like in 2010, The winning team will get seed funding from Unilab of PhP100,000 so they can implement their social marketing plan. Two runner-ups will get PhP75,000 each for their own implementation. Of course, the winning groups will also receive cash prizes for themselves and trophy for the school.

Interested students can form a team of five and submit their idea through http://www.unilabideaspositive.com until July 18. Ten semi-finalists will be chosen to undergo a 3-day camp in August where social marketing thought-leaders led by 2009 CNN Hero of the Year Efren Penaflorida and social marketing guru Dr. Eduardo ‘Ned’ Roberto will help teams to firm up their social marketing plans.

Wow! This sounds exciting. If only I am 10 years younger and enrolled in college, I can brainstorm ideas with my buddies and join this worthwhile competition which is actually more of an advocacy of Unilab, a world-class company which has been known to promote the Bayanihan spirit, the Filipino trait of working together to achieve a common goal.

Five finalists teams will be chosen to defend their plans on Sept 18 before a multi-sector panel of judges that will pick the team that wins the seed money from Unilab.