By-Line: Brittany Kershaw, Director of Communications and Marketing
The University of North Florida (UNF), in partnership with the City of Palm Coast and Flagler Schools and sponsored by AdventHealth, has announced the 2025 MedNexus Innovation Challenge. This exciting competition offers regional high school students the opportunity to pitch innovative solutions to Florida’s evolving healthcare needs while competing for scholarship prizes.
The fourth annual UNF MedNexus Innovation Challenge will take place on Thursday, April 3, 2025, from 5:00 to 7:00 p.m. at the Palm Coast Community Center. This year’s theme, “Becoming a Health Influencer,” challenges teams of four high school students to develop strategies leveraging social media to positively influence adolescent health. With social media often linked to negative impacts on teen mental health, this competition seeks to explore its potential as a force for good.
The first and second-place teams will win scholarship funds. First Place will win $1,000 per team member, and Second Place team members will take home $750 each. Throughout the process, the teams will be assigned UNF faculty members to help guide them, providing expert feedback on their proposed interventions. Teams will then present their innovative ideas to a panel of judges, receiving real-time feedback from industry experts, corporate leaders, investors, and university faculty.
High school students are invited to form teams of four and submit their initial ideas on how to influence teen health positively through social media. From these submissions, four teams will be selected to advance to the final competition. During February and March, the chosen teams will:
- Develop community-based interventions aimed at improving adolescent health through social media.
- Work closely with UNF faculty mentors to refine their ideas and presentations.
The 2025 AdventHealth MedNexus Innovation Challenge culminates in the highly anticipated Pitch Competition, where teams will present their solutions in front of an esteemed judging panel and an engaged audience. This unique event offers students direct exposure to healthcare professionals and thought leaders, inspiring the next generation of innovators.
“This challenge empowers students to think creatively and address real-world healthcare issues, all while building invaluable skills,” said UNF MedNexus Coordinator Hannah Boudreaux. “We look forward to seeing the innovative ideas these students bring to the table.”
Save the date for the 2025 AdventHealth MedNexus Innovation Challenge, which will be held on Thursday, April 3, 2025, from 5:00 to 7:00 p.m. at the Palm Coast Community Center, 305 Palm Coast Pkwy NE, Palm Coast, FL 32137.
For more information on the challenge, including application details, visit https://www.unf.edu/UNFmednexus/innovation-challenge-25.html
