FAQs for Students

Taking part

On average a good Map the System submission takes 80 hours of time to complete.
Yes. You need to put down a topic, but it does not need to be the one you stick with for the project. Just give us an idea of what you are interested in. For teams, only one team member needs to register before the registration deadline. Your topic and team does need to be finalized by the final submission deadline in April, however, and can not be changed after that point.
1. Start creating your map early, as it can be a guiding point for determining what information you don’t know yet.
2. Check-in with people often on your project to get different perspectives and ideas on what else might be missing.
3. Set deadlines for yourself and sit to them. With a living and changing system, your project will never be a complete picture of what is happening. It is a snapshot of your knowledge to date.
The topic you choose should be one that you are interested in but not too invested in that you already have the solution as this competition is about exploring a systemic challenge not solving one. Another great thing to think about is if there is a field you would like to get practical expertise in and a network in, if so choose a topic that is in that field to help build your project and career at the same time. After the competition make sure to send a thanks to anyone who helped you and send them your report so they can see how they contributed to your knowledge.
For suggestions of topics and themes, check out the section 'Systems Reset Themes.'

Making progress

There is no set time. Most students who do Map the System do not start off with a background in systems thinking; they learn it as they research their topics and talk to experts. A good place to start is by watching some of our introduction videos to systems thinking and system mapping. Along with starting with the Student Guide to Mapping a System.
To begin your research journey, consider exploring the beginner's guide and systems thinking learning resources for the competition research process, which can help you choose your topic, identify a problem, formulate research questions, create a research design, and engage with stakeholders, and more.
For a comprehensive understanding of research methodology, we will curate a companion website that can offer valuable resources, including video tutorials, recommended readings, and web resources.
Speak to your Map the System Educators/coordinator to see if they have any contacts for you. If not do a blind outreach through your school email to prove you are a student and explain what you are looking for and why you want to get in touch with them. You can also connect with organizations on LinkedIn to start building relationships. Get out and talk to friends and family as well and see what connections they have. Check out the interview resources in the student guide (p. 37) for more detailed instructions.
Yes. They are normally posted 48 hours after the webinar on our YouTube Channel: @mapthesystemcanada8235

Submission

This is a place to share how you have grown and developed through mapping your system. Maybe you have a different idea of the problem now that you have spent months researching and understanding it. We want to hear about what assumptions were made and if there were any parts that you personally found challenging. Did you figure out how if you as an individual are a part of the system that is in play? Spend some time reflecting on this as it will help you be a better changemaker in your future career and commitments.
No. The presentation needs to be submitted later to your Map the System Campus Coordinator for your final.
The presentation is to highlight key insights and can be set up in many different ways, you will want to make sure it is visual and does not have too many words on your slides. Some student will use parts of their maps to highlight key issues and gaps. There is a presentation section in the Student Guide to Mapping a System that can help give you more tips and tricks as well.