The Idea Challenge
A statewide challenge for North Carolina
Winners

Every yes lives here.

This page is the public record of every entry that gets a yes. Submissions are rolling — June 15 through October 15, 2026 — so winners are named on a rolling basis too. Recognition is part of how we say this work mattered.

2026 Window
Names appear as acceptances happen.

Submit anytime in the window. A yes-or-no review comes back within 3 business days. Every yes — student or teacher — appears here with first name, hometown, and a short summary. When objectives are verified and the second tier unlocks, that’s noted too.

How the prize stacks

Tier 1 · Accepted
$1,000
Every submission gets a yes-or-no review within 3 business days.
Tier 2 · Built
$10,000
Hit the objectives we sent with your acceptance — proof you ran the idea into the real world.

Per entry: up to $11,000. Total 2026 pool: $500K.

Names appear with first name and town/county only — no last names, no schools — to protect privacy. Students and their parents/guardians, or teachers, can request a name be removed at any time.