New York, NY, Feb. 20, 2026 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Today, the Network for Teaching Entrepreneurship (NFTE) celebrates the remarkable creativity of young innovators around the globe with the announcement of the 2025-2026 Imagination League winners in the 15th annual World Series of Innovation. Youth ages 5-12 competed for a chance to win $600 in prizes to support their educational endeavors. 

“This year’s Imagination League winners remind us just how early creativity, empathy, and problem-solving begin,” said Dr. J.D. LaRock, President & CEO of NFTE. “These young innovators looked at challenges like financial literacy and inclusion and responded with ideas that are thoughtful, hopeful, and rooted in real-world understanding. At NFTE, we believe that when children are given the space to imagine solutions, they begin building the mindset they’ll carry with them for life.” 

NFTE also revealed the finalists for this year’s Impact League competition for ages 13-24, with winners set to be announced on April 21, 2026, at innovation.nfte.com. 

This year’s competition engaged nearly 4,000 young people ages 5-24 from 47 countries, tapping into the creative power of youth worldwide to design bold solutions to pressing global challenges aligned with the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals—from the responsible use of AI to improving health, financial security, and opportunity for all. 

Imagination League Winners (Ages 5-12) 

This year, 353 young people from around the world participated in one of two Imagination League challenges. 

Aflatoun Better Together Challenge (SDG 10) 

• First Place: Regina T. with RuediCamas (Mexico)
• Runner Up: Yumna A., Afifa F, Aisyah Z. and Khaliqa R. with Good Habit Bank (Indonesia)
• Runner Up: Abdulaziz A. and Khalid M. with Arshidni (Saudi Arabia)

EverBank Little Savers Challenge (SDG 4) 

• First Place: Adithya D. with Needometer (USA)
• Runner Up: Aria S. with Rainbow Saver (USA)
• Runner Up: Amulya P. with Little CEOs (USA) 

Impact League Finalists (Ages 13-24) 

Worldwide, there is no shortage of emerging changemakers. The teens and young adults who competed solo or on teams in this year’s Impact League are among them. Their visionary ideas spanned six challenge categories sponsored by leading global organizations. While there is still a wait until the spring announcement of winners, NFTE is proud to unveil the Top 10 Impact League finalists in each challenge: 

CBT Tech Climate Solutions Challenge (SDG 13)

• SatSafe, South Korea
• Klean Generation, USA
• SmokeCast, Canada
• EcoGrid Solutions, USA
• Gravataí Support & Shelter Assist (GSSA), Brazil
• Front Condensation Filter, South Korea
• Water Desalination, Greece
• WasteWise, India
• Espérer, Bangladesh
• AERORA, Mexico 

Comerica Bank Skills for Success Challenge (SDG 4) 

• ElevatED Network, USA
• SkillBridge, USA
• SkillXpress, Bangladesh
• Orzo, USA
• Innovation Station Kits
• UniQuest, Kazakhstan
• EduPhysics, Kazakhstan
• EduVators, Afghanistan
• Align, USA
• Wobble Academy, USA 

 EY Responsible AI Challenge (SDG 16) 

• Open Platform for Environmental Frameworks (opef.ai), USA
• Jet2Integrate, Singapore
• Sickle Scope, USA
• AdaVox, USA
• Holmes, USA
• Nuevo, India
• Dorado, USA
• SasoGPT, USA
• PatchBot, India
• PoliAccess, USA 

 EverBank Financial Success Challenge (SDG 4) 

• Misaali, Pakistan
• MoneyQuest, Taiwan
• StockQuest Jr., USA
• TeenGo, Ukraine
• Finance Translated, USA
• Baltimore Literacy Investing Monetary Platform (BLIMP), USA
• SmartSpend, India
• GreenCoin1der, China
• SheCounts, USA
• WealthSpark, USA 

 MetLife Foundation Good Health & Well-Being Challenge (SDG 3) 

• Treet, Australia
• PureInk, China
• SpinaFlex, China & Türkiye
• VitaBridge, Macau
• SuGuard, Kazakhstan
• Bright Bikers, USA
• Navis, USA
• GaitMate, USA
• TTalks, USA
• CareBot, USA  

PayPal Opportunity for All Challenge (SDG 8) 

• Buzz Cart, USA
• Bridgr, USA
• BUSI, Vietnam
• LanchLoop, UAE
• Liftoff, USA
• StockSmart, USA
• Neighborly, USA
• FairHire AI, USA
• Sindy, Russia
• Kita, USA 

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For media inquiries, please contact Denise Berkhalter-Miller, APR, 917-281-4362, at mediainquiries@nfte.com.  

About NFTE   

Network for Teaching Entrepreneurship (NFTE) brings the power of entrepreneurship education to learners, educators, and decision-makers so all young people can own their futures. A global nonprofit founded in 1987, NFTE leads the global movement for equitable access to entrepreneurship education. NFTE has educated nearly 2 million learners, delivering our programs in school, out of school, in-person, online, or through hybrid models. Visit nfte.com to learn more.   

Attachments

• Competitors ages 5-12 submitted ideas for the EverBank Little Savers Challenge
• Competitors ages 5-12 submitted ideas for the Aflatoun Better Together Challenge

Denise Berkhalter Miller, APR
Network for Teaching Entrepreneurship (NFTE)
917-281-4362
deniseb@nfte.com