1UP Pitch Competition
Real site. Real solutions.
Go solo or build a team of up to 5, design a solution for Evergreen Brick Works and pitch it in 2 minutes to expert judges at the 1UP Conference. We’ll give you everything you need, step by step. The winners take home $600!
Fall 2026 Theme: Flood Mitigation and Adaptation
Help the Brick Works weather the storm
Evergreen Brick Works, in Toronto’s Don Valley, is a vibrant community space that hosts farmers’ markets, public programs, festivals and more.
But as beautiful as it is, the Brick Works sits in a floodplain and floods regularly from the Don River watershed.
As climate change brings more severe weather to Ontario, the Brick Works needs solutions to stay open and running. As a cultural hub and important historic site, it has received $7 million in government funding to adapt the space so it can recover more easily when floods hit.
That’s where you come in. Are you ready to help protect this cultural gem for generations to come?
What’s in it for you?
You get out of it what you put in. Here’s what’s waiting for you:
Evergreen Brick Works is a real place with real funding to put ideas into action. Your solution could help shape how the Brick Works adapts to flooding. That’s something to be proud of, and a pretty great thing to put on your resume.
On December 5, join 100+ youth from across Ontario at the 1UP Conference and pitch your ideas to an expert panel of judges. The top 2 teams move on to the final round, and the winners take home a $600 cash prize!
Connect with experts in the city building sector at Networking Days, Virtual Office Hours and the 1UP Conference. Get feedback on your pitch and ask all your questions to see if city building could be the right career for you.
Practice design thinking, collaboration, problem solving and presenting. These are all skills you can flex on your resume.
Whether you’re getting closer with your team or meeting new people at Networking Days and the 1UP Conference, you’ll connect with students who care about shaping their communities as much as you do.
Earn a digital certificate to count toward your Specialist High Skills Major (SHSM) Reach Ahead and/or Experiential Learning requirements.
Ready to pitch?
Here’s what you need to know before you register:
- All team members must be in grades 9 to 12
- Teams can have 1 to 5 members, so go solo or bring your friends
- You don’t need to be connected to a school. You can build a team with friends from sports, clubs or other activities
- Every team needs an adult supervisor, such as a teacher, guardian or trusted community leader
- Every team needs a team lead to keep everyone organized and on track. They’re also your main contact with the 1UP Program Coordinators. (Going solo? That’s you!)
Meet all the requirements? Have your team lead register below by November 9th, 2026
You’re registered. Now what?
Start developing your pitch
Everything you need to build your pitch, all in one place. Start here!
Your guide to how the 1UP Competition works from start to finish. It covers the program timeline, Networking Days, Virtual Office Hours, and the final conference, where your team will pitch to judges across two rounds. Each round is a 5-minute presentation followed by 5 minutes of Q&A.
This year’s challenge is set at Evergreen Brick Works. The brief covers the challenge, site history, key considerations, the people your solution will serve, your $100,000 budget, and key definitions. Read this first, because every other resource builds on it.
A step-by-step guide to starting your research. You’ll identify the key terms and concepts in the Competition Brief, then learn how to find and evaluate reliable sources on your topic.
Turn your early research into a roadmap. This activity helps your team form a focused research question, gather at least five sources, and set a research timeline. The sources should be a mix of academic sources, grey literature such as government sources, and community input. Bring your completed sheet to Networking Days and Virtual Office Hours to talk it through with mentors. You don’t need to submit it.
Tips and best practices for building and delivering a strong pitch, from structuring your story to presenting with confidence in front of judges.
The official template for your pitch presentation. Your slide deck is one of only two materials judges will review at the conference, so start building in this template early.
Map out how your team would spend your $100,000 budget. A completed financial plan is required for your final submission and will be reviewed by judges alongside your slide deck.
See exactly how your pitch will be scored. Judges score each team out of 25 across five criteria: Empathy, Novelty & Creativity, Impact & Sustainability, Budget & Feasibility, and Presentation & Engagement. Use the rubric to check your work as you go.
Make the most of the experience
Your pitch is only as strong as the work you put in. Sign up for these extras to give your team an edge.
Networking Days
Connect with professionals, get mentorship and get feedback on your work at the Pitch Review Clinic.
*Our GTA Networking Day has wrapped up. We’re not running the Waterloo Region and Hamilton Networking Days this fall, but we hope to bring them back. In the meantime, join us at the 1UP Conference in December.
Virtual Office Hours
Test your pitch in front of professionals and get feedback before the big day. These sessions are only for Pitch Competition teams.
Dates:
- Tuesday, November 10
- Wednesday, November 18
- Thursday, November 26
Keep an eye on your email for the registration link!
1UP Conference
Pitch to an expert panel of judges, meet youth from across Ontario and explore city building careers.