Teaching a Class Dedicated to the College Fed Challenge Competition

There are many regional and national academic competitions that allow teams of students from colleges and universities to compete against one another. We examine the benefits to students, instructors, and schools of participating in a college-level academic competition conducted in conjunction with enrollment in a class geared toward preparing students for the competition. We use our experience of teaching such a course as an example. Anecdotal evidence suggests worthwhile results: motivated, engaged students working to achieve a common objective, a student centered learning environment, external validation of the quality of the school's students, positive external publicity, and a rewarding experience for instructors.