IDEA-X Challenge

A competition for Langley School District secondary students to partner, invent and innovate to solve significant world problems

 

 

The 2025 IDEA-X CHALLENGE kick-off will be held
Thursday, January 16, 2025 at the school board office.

→ 1 person per team should register here: https://forms.office.com/r/Q3jiKqAaDJ

 

 

2025 IDEA-X Challenge Background

The Harrison Lake area holds significant cultural, spiritual, and ecological significance to many local First Nations, including the Sts’ailes, Leq’amel, Sqewlets and other Sto:lo communities, that have stewarded these lands since time immemorial. The area is also a cherished resource of the community for local recreators, tour operators, and visitors from afar.

There has been a significant increase in visitors in recent years, creating new challenges for the ecosystem and surrounding communities. In 2023, vehicle traffic on the Sts’ailes (West Harrison) Forest Service Road was approximately 42% higher than what it was in 2012, with more than 78,800 people visiting the area. The rate of human-caused wildfire has also increased at an alarming rate.

On long weekends, between 1200 – 1500 vehicles travel up the lake. The Harrison Lake area is rich with wildlife, cultural history, and natural beauty, but the integrity of these values is being threatened by the amount and types of visitations occurring. In 2015, the Wood Lake wildfire impacted almost 1,400 hectares of important natural, recreational and cultural values and is believed to have been human caused.

2025 IDEA-X Challenge

Design a culturally sensitive and environmentally responsible solution to reduce human-caused wildfires in the Harrison Lake area, while minimizing negative impacts on First Nations cultural practices, ecosystems, and wildlife.

~Thank you to the BC Ministry of Forestry, the Langley Aboriginal department, the Langley Foundation and the Langley school district.

 

 

Examples from the Past:

Pitch videos from the 2022 winning teams: 

2022 Honourable Mentions:

Instructional Services | #Think35

4875 222 Street, Langley
BC, V3A 3Z7
Phone: 6045347891
© 2015 Langley School District