Map the System
Passionate about making a difference? Dive deep into issues that matter.
Deeply explore an issue that matters to you and share your findings with the world
Map the System is a prestigious global competition spearheaded by the , delivered in collaboration with leading educational institutions worldwide. Unlike traditional pitch competitions, Map the System emphasizes a comprehensive discovery process. Participants from diverse disciplines immerse themselves in a systems-thinking approach, meticulously exploring intricate social or environmental challenges. This deep dive enables them to grasp interconnected factors, leading to a holistic understanding of the issue at hand.
Map the System encourages participants to adopt a learning-first mindset towards social change. Rather than hastily proposing new solutions, the competition emphasizes understanding existing efforts and building upon them. By doing so, participants contribute meaningfully to ongoing dialogues and efforts addressing global challenges.
Why participate?
- Join a global movement committed to systems change.
- Compete for $5,000 in cash prizes at UCalgary competition. Winners have the opportunity to compete at the Canadian National Finals.
- Learn new innovation skills to address the world’s most pressing issues and bolster your resume.
- Bring awareness to a social or environmental issue you are passionate about.
- Connect with socially-conscious students, researchers, and practitioners from across UCalgary and Canada.
The UCalgary Campus Finals will be conducted in-person at the Hunter Hub Collision Space. The standout team will then advance to represent UCalgary in the Canadian Finals, held in-person at the ATCO Campus. The Map the System Canada program is made possible with the support of the ATCO Energy SpaceLab.
By participating in Map the System, you're not merely entering a competition; you're embarking on a transformative journey that equips you with invaluable skills, networks, and insights to create meaningful change.
Apply now
Applications will open in the Winter 2025 semester.
2024 UCalgary Winners
The victorious team, comprised of Paige Thompson, Julia Brady, and Sam Padron, tackled systemic obstacles hindering access to post-secondary education. Their endeavor delved into the roots of these barriers—be they environmental, social, or financial—and their role in exacerbating the growing inaccessibility to higher education across Alberta's post-secondary landscape. Notably, all three team members are first-year students enrolled in the School of Architecture, Planning, and Landscape (SAPL).
Past Winners
Celebrating the success of past Liftoff! winners.
Map the System crowns UCalgary winners
Winning team will represent our campus at in-person Canadian national finals
Entrepreneurial Thinking Month strikes a chord as startup ideas pour in from across UCalgary campus
Hunter Hub marks milestone month of exploring innovative solutions, pitching concepts, and networking
Delayed Until Death team takes first place in Áù¾ÅÉ«Ìà Map the System challenge
Competing students learn to deeply investigate the system complexity of social problems
UCalgary's Success at Map the System Global Finals 2023
Last year, UCalgary's Assemble Health team reached the global finals at the University of Oxford, impressing judges and participants with their project on addressing Canada's physician shortage. This achievement not only garnered international recognition but also opened doors for additional funding opportunities, including an MTS Apprenticing with a Problem Grant. Join Map the System and be part of a legacy of impactful research and innovation.
Map the System Alum
First Place: Systemic Barriers to Higher Education
Paige Thompson, Julia Brady, Sam Padron
Second Place: Roots of Instability: Housing Within Black Communities
Rein Gonzales, Rebeca Cesar, Steve Angoluan
Third Place: Challenges Faced by Women in Academia
Cherie Brown
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Climate Policy Disproportionate Effects on BIPOC Communities
Jeanine Appiah, Ayesha Khan
Barriers to Affordable Housing in Inglewood, Calgary
Luka Lachner, Chloe Leyao, Gianluca Cross- Bussoli
Bridging the Gap Between Nurse Practitioners and Licensed Practical Nurses
Theo Van der Westhuizen, Dayna Lysak
Egypt’s Wheat Reliance
Zyad Rachdi, Jesse Starchuck, Grayson Moore
Effects of Online Misinformation
Shania Gilmour, Micaela Francese, Joy Wang, Aileen Mulaw
First Place: Family Physician Shortage: A Canadian Healthcare Crisis​
Winston Cheung​, Tina Wong​, and Brandon Pentz
Second Place: Lights Out: A Systems Map Of The Load Shedding Crisis In South Africa
Dayna Lysak and Theo Van der Weshuizen
Third Place: Mental Health in Marginalized Undergraduate Students in Alberta​
Emmanuel Amaechi​, Sarah Joy Mendoza​, andHayley Ngo​
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Mind Over Media
Yasaman Yeganeh, Shahin Parvar, and Reza Hedayati
Suicide Intervention for Youth in Calgary
Freeha Anjum and Ben Shi
Raising the Public’s Awareness on Parasites
Chenhua Li​
Microplastics: A Micro-scale Macro-problem
Hector Bonilla, Mario Cordova, Antonio Vila
Systems Security in Space
Amna Adnan Ìý
Unheard Cries: Fragmented Alberta Support for Neurodiverse Families: The team found that more than 9 per cent of children are neurodiverse, and one-third have one or more medical, physical or psychological conditions. They examined the connections and disconnections within and between government and non-government family support across various sectors.
The Global Rare Earth Elements Crisis: The team looked into the issues involving rare earth elements, which are essential in today’s technologies. Their investigation determined the crisis is a result of issues in the health, safety and environment, sociopolitical, and economic sectors.
Impacts of COVID-19 on Education: The team examined the adverse consequences of school closures due to COVID-19, including interrupted learning, social isolation, strain on health-care systems, and gaps in childcare. Underlying factors included policy issues, delivery of services at the school level, and gaps in the education system.
Frequently asked questions
Did we miss your question? Email us directly at hunterhub@ucalgary.ca to let us know what you're curious about, and we'll get back to you with answers.
Don't forget to watch our info session to learn more about the program.
Map the System is a global competition of University of Oxford'sÌý,Ìýdelivered in partnership with educational institutions around the world. From its inception in 2015, the competition challenges participants to use systems thinking as a guiding approach to understanding some of the most complex issues the world faces today.
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UCalgary undergraduate students, graduate students, and recent alumni (within 1 year) are eligible to participate in UCalgary's Map the System program.
Map the System can be completed by teams of 1 to 5 people. You don't have to join with others, but it is strongly recommended given the workload.
We are hosting a facilitated team building workshop on January 16. This is a great place to meet others interested in working on problems you're passionate about.
As a participant in UCalgary's Map the System program, you will receive:
- Resources
- A guidebook with directions that will move you through the program
- Access to a D2L page with relevant resources such as the Impact Gap Canvas, Systemic Design Toolkit, and Causes Diagram worksheets,Ìýand weekly discussion boards that will help you connect with other teams for peer-to-peer support
- Workshops
- Research Methods
- Human-Centred Design
- Systems Mapping
- Storytelling and Communications
- Presentations
- Connections
- Coaches and subject matter experts from the Hunter Hub, Haskayne School of Business, and Innovate Calgary who can help you with your project
- Taylor Family Digital Library librariansÌý
Workshops are highly recommended. They will provide a space for you to develop new knowledge, actively work on your projects and receive feedback, and connect with other participants. You will also have the opportunity to ask questions about the various tools and methods that are introduced throughout the program.
Participants are expected to take a system thinking approach to their research analysis and present their findings in three ways: visual, written, and verbal.
1. Written submission materials
- Visual systems map(s)
- Written systems analysis (up to 3000 words)
- Detailed bibliographyÌý
2. Presentation
The presentation is the part of this competition that most closely mimics a pitch competition, but only insofar as participants are telling a story.ÌýTeams will present a visual representation of their systems map.Ìý
This program is free to join.
UCalgary finalists will also have a chance to compete for a share of $5,000 in cash prizes awarded at our local competition. The winning UCalgary finalist will have a chance to compete for additional prizes at the Canadian National Finals.
Map the System Canada has projects from last year's program available online. Check them out to see what this program can help you achieve.