Nominations for the TED Prize are open from now until August 31st. Meaning that there’s still time to nominate a great thinker you’ve always admired, a mentor who’s helped you along the way or a friend with a wonderful idea to inspire change around the world. This year, you can even nominate yourself for the $1 million award.

With the nomination deadline approaching, we asked you last week what you would do for the world with $1 million. And we got some pretty amazing answers. The question exploded in the comments section, on our TED Conversation, as well as on our Facebook page. And thus, we decided to continue the dialogue this week. Below, some of the most inspiring ideas shared in the past week and a half:

“I would start a non-profit organization that deployed health care advocates to regional hospitals to assist often uninformed patients with their healthcare choices. These would be people not only well-versed in the health care system, but knowledgeable about choices patients need to make about their health.” — Amy Timmins

“Research and promote clean emissions applicable to every vehicle (like an exhaust capturing filter) making my gift to the world clean air!” — Jacob Michael McDevitt

“My plan would be to create a free food program. It’s my theory that with food and shelter covered it would be easier to get people’s attention and wake up, to band together and attempt to create a proper change against our Corpratocracy.” — Victor-Antonio Ali

“I’d establish a global support agency for families of missing people. It’s a grief that is not commonly acknowledged by society because of its lack of completeness, of finality. I’d provide a space where people could wait and hope and feel embraced by others who understand.” — Sarah Wayland

“Expand family planning programs across the neediest areas.” — Mirko Saam Diaz

“Open an art studio under the name of ‘Right Turns’ in a poverty stricken community for at risk kids to explore and create in the world of arts.” — Carrie Zwagerman

“[I would do] exactly what I am doing — assisting rural indigenous communities grappling with climatic change and globalization to achieve food sovereignty by increasing local, diversified food access and nutrition. Empowering the people in the documentation and protection of their traditional knowledge, habitat, and genetic resources. PS: You don’t need a million dollars to help the world. All you really need is compassion.” — Heather Cruise

“Some [money] I would use to start schools in underdeveloped countries prone to violent extremism. I see education as one of the primary ways to battle this evil. The rest I would use to provide micro-loans to small business owners in various 3rd world countries.” — Eric Henry

“I’d design an app that would enable every 5-year-old in the world to receive a sight and hearing check. The ‘i-nurse’ app would be a simple way to carry out the test and then make a referral based on a ‘traffic light’ system of need.” — Carl McCarthy

“Continue to build our language immersion preschool programs and encourage nationwide multilingualism and language learning in the classroom.” — Patti Martin

“I’d create an organization dedicated to helping women who are rebuilding their lives after escaping domestic violence/abusive situations to make their dreams happen.” — Ronda Bowen

“Education. Put together a group of experts, parents, experienced teachers etc. and let them work out a good, modern and adequate school/education system OR even better, take the elaborated ideas that already exist and put the money into the implementation of that system. There are enough ideas and projects out there — take for example classes with a diversity of cultures and ethnicities. Put the money into projects like that. Because, as always, education is our highest value.” — Nell Forest

“Build a high speed rail from SETX to Houston so people can obtain better employment.” — Cody Underwood

“NOTHING. We always try to improve, to fix things and to solve problems with money, while [money is] the main cause of them.” — Dariø Cervellin 

“I would develop a math program for people wanting to go back to community college to get new job skills in the US.” — Joanna Schneier

“Start a worldwide campaign to use all war machines as cleaning and protection machines for the environment.” — Ja Lubin

“I would create a venture with Apple to distribute x000s of iPad with satellite Internet connection to remote villages in developing countries.” — Sébastien Paris

“You could benefit plenty in a small way or benefit a few in a larger way. But if we want to go for the broadest and longest term effect, I would set up 20 $50,000 scholarships for the brightest kids that plan on going into the field of science. Start training our next generation to propel us forward and not to learn how to make great web pages or use an auto-tuner so they can be the next flavor of the month.” — John Davis

“I would setup a TED program in the Philippines like the ones from other industrialized countries, employ smart people and educate my countrymen about the world. So they could also invest in whatever is good for our country like education scholarships for smart people who are less fortunate. Allocate some on science and technology, health and research without the involvement of the government.” — Jun Sibal

“I’d use it to fund micro-lending programs and would donate tablet computers pre-loaded with educational programs for third world primary schools. 1M won’t solve all the problems in the world, but you have to start somewhere.” — Susan Hurst

Join the conversation or share your ideas below about what you would do for the world with $1 million. And don’t forget to nominate yourself or others for the TED Prize by August 31, using these official nomination forms.