The $11M XPRIZE Wildfire is a three-year competition that will source teams of innovators from around the globe to develop integrated systems that can autonomously detect, assess, and suppress potentially catastrophic wildfires quickly. The winning team will autonomously detect and suppress an incipient wildfire within a defined 1,000 km2 area in under 10 minutes from ignition while leaving any decoy fires untouched. 

Only 8 - 10 students will be selected to join a small group of current team members. (Current Wildfire Quest team members - please do not reapply.)

The $101M XPRIZE Healthspan is a 7-year, global competition to revolutionize the way we approach human aging. The goal is to create a proactive, accessible therapeutic that reduces the risk of chronic age-related diseases, increases human healthspan, and extends the quality of life well into our later years. 

Up to 15 students will be selected to pioneer this incredible opportunity to improve health as we age.

Students applying to an AMSE Program must be a a high school AMSE Member or AMSE Honors participant. (You only need to apply to this once.) If you are not already an AMSE Member or AMSE Honors student, use this link to access the High School Member/Honors application after completing this form.

The majority of AMSE programs meet weekly and require a minimum of 2-5 hours of student commitment. Program fees for the XPRIZE teams will be billed after school begins in the fall and are non-refundable. Additional fees may be required for local field trips and overnight travel expenses.

Duration - Yearlong

Days Per Week - 1

Meeting Days/Times: TBD

Application Deadline: Wednesday, May 8, 2024

Fee: $1,000/Year* 

IMPORTANT DETAILS

1. Time Commitment -

a. School year: Team members will be expected to meet a minimum of one time per week in person with additional virtual meeting requirements. As deadlines and competitions approach, a significant increase in time commitment will be necessary to give priority to XPRIZE deliverables.

 b. Summer and other out-of-school meetings: The team will meet regularly this summer, in person and virtually, depending on deliverable deadlines. 

c. Because XPRIZE teams have international exposure and high-level expectations, students who apply must be willing to make this program their first priority when scheduling any other extracurricular activities, including other AMSE, BEI, Athletics, or Conservatory programs.

2. Duration -Team members will be given priority to participate each year through high school graduation based on their participation and contribution to the team.

3. Program Fee - $1,000 per year + travel expenses. (Billed in the fall of 2024 - fees may be subject to a yearly increase.)

REQUIREMENT INFORMATION FOR VCS XPRIZE TEAM APPLICANTS

1. The application will be open from Thursday, April 25 through Wednesday, May 8, 2024 at midnight. ABSOLUTELY NO LATE APPLICATIONS WILL BE ACCEPTED.

The XPRIZE Program Manager will review all student applications and conduct interviews with a select group of applicants. Selection criteria will include a student's course schedule, experience, and responses to the application questions. Additionally, some consideration will be given to grade levels to ensure diversity in ages. This provides continuity of team knowledge for future years.