URBANA, Ill. – The Carle Illinois College of Medicine will host its second annual Health Make-a-Thon competition on Saturday, August 8, from 2 to 5 p.m. The online event is free and open to the public.

Twenty teams of citizen-scientists, students, and healthcare practitioners from across Illinois will pitch their ideas for improving health. Ten winning teams will be selected, each receiving $10,000 in resources, materials, mentorship, and access to the Health Maker Lab network of design and making facilities at University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign to design, fabricate and prototype their idea.

The 20 finalists will pitch their ideas in a ‘dolphin tank’ format, similar to a shark tank, but friendlier. Each team will be given two minutes for their presentation and the judges will be given two minutes for questions. The judges and the online audience will vote on each team’s idea and pitch.

The panel of judges includes representatives from the Illinois and Carle Hospital, community members, entrepreneurs, and Illinois alumni with health companies.

Online registration is required to attend. Learn more about the Health Maker Lab at Carle Illinois College of Medicine.

SOURCE/WRITER: Charlie Simpson, Executive Director of Marketing and Communications, Carle Illinois College of Medicine