Wazoku partners with Lumina Foundation to launch global challenge on the value of education after high school

$15,000 prize to be awarded for innovative models that quantify the return on higher education

LONDON, UNITED KINGDOM, June 26, 2025 /EINPresswire.com/ -- Innovation scaleup Wazoku has launched a global challenge with Lumina Foundation to help answer one of education’s most urgent questions: how can we better quantify the public returns of education after high school?

The challenge - ‘Quantifying the Public Returns to Postsecondary Education’ - was launched via Wazoku’s 700,000+ open innovation crowd Innocentive. The Challenge invites researchers, educators, economists, and data scientists to propose measurable models that show how post-high school education benefits individuals, and society at large through improved health, civic engagement, productivity, and more.

Lumina’s mission is that by 2040, 75 percent of adults in the U.S. labor force will have college degrees or other credentials of value, leading to economic prosperity.

“We see higher education as a tool for opportunity, to help people create a better, more prosperous future for themselves and their families – but new challenges require innovative solutions,” said Wendy Sedlak, strategy director, Lumina Foundation. “College can be expensive, AI is perceived to be a threat to jobs, and many question the value of college degrees. We want to ensure education remains accessible, valuable, and aligned with the needs of today’s workforce. Part of that is finding a way to quantify that value, not just for individuals but for their communities.”

This is the first Innocentive Challenge since Wazoku reinstated the brand on its 25th anniversary, reflecting the platform’s renewed focus on intelligent, open innovation.

It is open to anyone worldwide with a relevant idea or model to contribute. Submissions must present new or improved frameworks to define and assess the societal benefits of higher education, including data-informed strategies that institutions or policymakers could apply.

The top submission will receive a $15,000 award, and all proposals will be evaluated by a panel of expert reviewers in education policy, economics, and public service.

“Education systems are under pressure globally to justify their value, not just to students, but to society,” said Simon Hill, CEO, Wazoku. “This first challenge under the relaunched Innocentive brand embodies what we stand for: open collaboration, social impact, and intelligent innovation. Lumina’s work is driving a vital shift in evaluating education, and we’re proud to support that through our global solver community.”

This challenge is particularly relevant to researchers, think tanks, policy advisers, and graduate schools working at the intersection of education, public policy, and economics. All intellectual property remains with solvers unless awarded, with a non-exclusive license granted to Lumina for the winning entry.

Submissions close on 7 July 2025. Full challenge details and submission guidelines are available at: https://luminafoundation.community.innocentive.com/challenge/dd2fe76a09c84923a9ba9e50cdfa0572?utm_source=wazoku&utm_medium=pr&utm_campaign=Postsecondary%20Education

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For further information about Wazoku, visit https://www.wazoku.com

For further information about Innocentive, visit https://www.innocentive.com/

For further information about Lumina Foundation, visit https://www.luminafoundation.org/

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