Challenge Winners Announced!

Dear Friend,

We are delighted to announce the winners of our inaugural Solar Solutionaries Challenge!

The journey began on Saturday, November 8th (US National STEM Day), when teachers from various states and cohorts attended a webinar introducing the Challenge. They got into the engineering mindset with a fun activity called “mock-ups” before learning about the steps of the Solar Solutionaries Framework that students would need to work through to participate in the challenge.

Entries came from across the US, including California, Minnesota, Illinois, and Florida. The range of projects included individual students addressing problems in their literal backyards to groups trying to improve studying conditions at their school.

Runner Up Middle School Classes

Special mention goes to two classes that participated in this challenge. Teacher Jill Ryan and her 8th-grade Science students at St. Jude of the Lake Catholic School in Mahtomedi, Minnesota, worked independently to design solutions for issues such as installing a pumping system for their grandparents’ garden and providing backyard lighting. Their entries came in the form of Google Slides.

In Sarasota, Florida, Marie Boyette’s 7th-grade STREAM (Science, Technology, Religion, Engineering, Art, and Mathematics) students at Incarnation Catholic School addressed a variety of issues, such as water filtration and providing heated tents. They built models to illustrate their designs and created posters communicating their ideas.

Picture: Incarnation Catholic School

3rd Place Middle School

From Ms. Boyette’s class, one entry really stood out–Meadow del Valle designed a solar-powered GPS system for use on a boat. She did a great job using technical language when discussing the size of her battery and solar panel, making it clear that she had meticulously worked through the mathematical aspects of the design.

2nd Place Middle School

Over in Rockford, Illinois, students in Stacy Wallace’s STEM class at Gifted Academy at Thurgood Marshall Middle School really dove into this challenge. Tanay Mewada and Miguel Alexander Granados displayed two different prototypes of their foldable solar oven in the video that they submitted.

While designing a foldable solar oven, they demonstrated careful consideration by researching and selecting the specific materials required to ensure their concept would function effectively, including access to clean cooking equipment.

1st Place Middle School

The winners for this category, Rushil Patel, Muhammadumar Imran, and Haatim Abdulqader, are also students from Ms. Wallace's class. We were struck by their sophisticated design and compelling presentation. Their teacher told us:

“Rashil, Haatim and Muhammadumar are so proud of their work on this project. They had several struggles through the project. At one point, a fellow teacher told them it couldn't be done, but they kept working through the challenges. When they hit a roadblock, they reached out to an electrical engineer who would give them suggestions. The boys put a lot of heart and soul into this project and really learned to work as a team.”

The dedication and passion these students poured into their project are evident in their video, and we look forward to seeing them further explore the world of solar technology!

1st Place High School

On the West Coast, we have a very talented group of Solar Solutionaries in the Climate Literacy Club at Sylmar Biotech Health & Engineering Magnet, working with teacher Edna Losa. This entry was a collaboration of all 9 students in the club, with the core group leading the way. They designed a Solar Study Shed Hub that addressed everything set by the challenge and went even further.

We had to reach out to a solar expert, Electrical Engineer Ruth Nzioka, in Kenya, to get some specialized feedback for this group as they looked into using MPPT charge controllers and inverters, which were far beyond the scope of this project.

Watch more entry video submissions!

2026 Solar Solutionaries Challenge Webpage Here

Congratulations to all the participants for your dedication and amazing work! We look forward to another successful year.

Keep learning, building, and sharing.

Cheers,

Anna Gomberg, MENG, MTEACH

Senior Program Manager, Education

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