Acara is a program for people interested in learning about and developing innovative solutions to the world’s “Grand Challenges”: the tough, seemingly unsolvable problems facing humanity (climate change, food insecurity, lack of access to clean water and energy, improper sanitation, gender empowerment, racial inequality). We offer courses, study abroad programs, fellowships and competitions that give students the opportunity to:
- Explore and understand real world challenges.
- Develop skills to design innovative, scalable, impactful and financially-viable solutions to a problem.
- Become effective in project-based teamwork, leadership, and interdisciplinary collaboration.
- Secure financial resources to collaborate with domestic and international mentors and experts to help develop solutions beyond our programs.
Learn more about Acara’s history and philosophy.
Acara News
Every year, the Acara Challenge shines a spotlight on University of Minnesota students with ideas that could change the world.…
Acara proves it time and again: If you’re looking for innovative solutions, all you need to do is turn to…
In 2009, a small, ragtag group of summer study-abroad students and instructors landed in Mumbai, India. They didn’t know what…