In a KWHS article on innovation, Jamie Lee Solimano, a finalist in the 2013 Intel Science Talent Search for high school students, defined innovation like this: “To shift society or have an impact, you have to introduce something novel.” While invention is indeed one aspect of innovation, it is also so much more. In this first part of a four-part audio podcast for educators on innovation and the art of problem-solving, Saikat Chaudhuri, executive director of the Mack Institute of Innovation Management at the Wharton School; and Rob Shelton, global innovation strategy lead at PwC, discuss innovation basics and how it is related to critical thinking and problem-solving.

Inside Innovation: Tackling the World’s Most Pressing Problems

Jessie Bernstein, 18, did not feel completely ready to go to college when she graduated from high school last June. She decided, instead, to defer her college acceptance and take a gap year -- a year off to explore interests and get experience doing new activities. KWHS sat down with Bernstein – literally inside a barn at the organic farm where she works – to discuss her life as a “gapper” and whether or not, so far, it has been the right choice for her.

Organic Farming, Snowboarding and Surfing in South Africa: A Gap Year to Remember

Talk about a love for soccer. Kids in Africa are known to fashion soccer balls out of just about anything they can find in order to play the game. Jeff DeCelles and his Grassroot Soccer colleagues have used that passion as a platform to teach young people about HIV and AIDS. In this podcast with Knowledge@Wharton High School editor Diana Drake, DeCelles discusses soccer for social good and his path from the University of Vermont to Sub-Saharan Africa.

Grassroots Goal: HIV Prevention on the Soccer Field

Nonprofit organizations dedicated to the public good can’t do their important work without money. Take, for instance, Sesame Street, an educational program for children that is seen around the world. Without the necessary funding, the Muppets would be out of work. During the recent Child & Youth Finance International summit in Amsterdam, Knowledge@Wharton High School sat down with Anita Stewart to discuss her role developing and securing strategic corporate alliances and sponsorships for Sesame Workshop, the organization that produces Sesame Street.

Funding Elmo: Sesame Workshop’s Anita Stewart Talks Money and Muppets

In April, which also happens to be National Financial Literacy Month, Knowledge@Wharton High School traveled to Amsterdam in Holland for the Child & Youth Finance International summit. While there, we sat down with Tom Rosen Jacobsen, a 10th grader from Amsterdam, to talk about the more than 70 youth from 40 countries participating in the event, and the challenge of agreeing on policy recommendations even when you don’t speak the same language.

Building Up Those Bank Accounts: An Amsterdam Student’s View on Global Financial Literacy

While April is National Financial Literacy Month, the movement to help young people better manage their money is actually quite global. Knowledge@Wharton High School traveled to Amsterdam in April to take part in the Child & Youth Finance International summit, which brought together youth and senior-level representatives from across various sectors to discuss financial education for children and youth around the world. While there, KWHS editor Diana Drake sat down with Melvis Mirazi, a senior at Zwelibanzi High School in Durban, South Africa, to discuss saving money in her part of the world.

Financial Literacy: The Voice of South African Youth

G.J. Melendez-Torres graduated from Wharton in 2011 with a BS in economics (health care management & policy) and the School of Nursing with a BS in nursing. He is now continuing toward a master's degree in advanced practice and psychiatric/mental health nursing. As a result of winning a Marshall Scholarship, Melendez-Torres is currently studying at the University of Oxford, free of cost. Knowledge@Wharton High School’s Sherry Yang caught up with G.J. before graduation to discuss his various interests, including his deep involvement in interfaith issues outside the classroom.

A ‘Gigantic Science Nerd’ in High School Advocates Opening Your Heart to New Experiences and Unexpected Paths

Jason Schutzbank has been an entrepreneur since he was 14 and building websites for family and friends. He co-founded a social media company while in college at Emory University, balancing the stress of student life with being a top executive at a publicly traded firm. Today, the 23-year-old runs a business that advises companies on how to use Facebook and Twitter in their marketing. Schutzbank recently talked to Knowledge@Wharton High School about his experiences and offered advice to budding entrepreneurs.

From the Campus Quad to the Boardroom: Jason Schutzbank on Life as a Student and Serial Entrepreneur