Meet the young people who are taking action on sustainability around the world with the Ciena Solutions Challenge.
Each year, thousands of students around the world participate in the Ciena Solutions Challenge. This initiative invites students and educators around the world to engage in Challenge Based Learning by designing solutions addressing the in their communities.
In 2025, we had the highest levels of participation yet! This year, 138 projects were submitted from 25 different countries, engaging a record number of educators and students. Of these projects, our volunteer judges selected 20 to win $3,000 USD Sustainability Awards and an additional 42 schools to win $750 USD prizes which can be used to sustain or scale their projects. Congratulations to each and every person who participated this year, and to all the prize winners!
Our youngest advocates for environmental sustainability
One of the most inspiring takeaways from the Ciena Solution Challenge every year is seeing how the Challenge fosters a passion for sustainability in the next generation. At Ciena, we’re committed to leveraging innovation to help build a greener future. Through our support of this initiative, we’re sharing that passion for sustainable innovation with thousands of students every year. By participating in the Challenge, all these students are learning how to look at their local community and identify opportunities for sustainable solutions.
While several Sustainable Development Goals are addressed in this year’s 20 winning projects, two themes stood out as priorities for young people across the planet—waste reduction and clean water.
Reusing and recycling: tackling waste and responsible consumption
Several groups of students developed projects that focused on reducing waste in their communities. These projects aim to address Sustainable Development Goal 11: Sustainable Cities and Communities by recognizing the far-reaching impact of keeping useful items in circulation, reducing polluting waste, and reducing carbon emissions from production of new goods.
In Nigeria, students at learned to repair broken appliances as well as upcycling plastic and electronic waste into new home appliances, such as fans, flashlights, and blenders. Tackling waste from textiles and clothing, students from in Kenya developed a system for donating unused school uniforms, while students at in the USA created a shop for repurposing donated clothing—both of which keep old clothes out of landfills and provide clothing for those in need.
Students from Turkey, Panama, and Tunisia each worked on solutions that would make existing recycling services in their regions more effective. In Turkey, students at improved their existing recycling program with AI and sensors to help sort waste and avoid contamination of recyclable materials. Students from in Panama and in Tunisia each developed apps, smart containers, and incentive programs to encourage recycling in their regions.
Students from Egba Odeda Junior High School working on home appliances
Maintaining clean water for people and the planet
Students at schools in Kazakhstan, Indonesia, USA, and Brazil chose to focus their projects on Goal 6: Clean Water and Sanitation. This focus area is inspired by the needs of their local communities, including regions affected by drought and river pollution.
In an inspiring collaboration between two schools in different continents, students from in Brazil and in the USA came together to develop evapotranspiration toilets that can be used in areas without access to utilities in order to keep waste out of water systems. These toilets can be implemented in both the Amazon River region and US national parks, supporting clean water in these delicate ecosystems.
In Kazakhstan, students from invented the “Asqu” smart water bottle that both analyses water quality in real time and filters the water sample, making it safe for drinking. in Indonesia also focused on water testing technology, inventing the “AKURAT” water testing device. With their project, the students are able to measure the pH of their local river, informing residents if it’s safe to drink and providing a valuable record of pH levels that government and environmental agencies can use as data to act on pollution.
Students from Col茅gio Militar de Manaus meet with students from Davis Middle School virtually
Beyond the environment: How students and educators are advancing sustainable development
The remaining Sustainability Award winners developed a variety of creative solutions that help advance several more of the UN’s Sustainable Development Goals.
Two projects out of India worked toward Goal 10: Reduced Inequalities. The developed an affordable braille printer that can convert any text into braille on the spot while at , students worked with local engineers to develop a mobility aid augmented with AI navigation and voice control abilities.
Students from City Montessori School Rajajipuram sharing their invention with visually impaired community memebers
Advancing literacy was also a common goal, with three projects touching upon Goal 4: Quality Education. In South Africa, used apps and robotics kits to teach coding skills to educators from underserved schools, who then used those skills to start coding clubs for their students. At in Brazil, digital literacy was incorporated into adult literacy education, to improve engagement and increase the relevance of material taught to adult learners. At school in Lebanon, young people are supported in creating fun digital content in Arabic to offer language-learners more engaging materials for practicing their Arabic language skills.
Working toward Goal 3: Good Health and Wellbeing, students at in Georgia used animation to create educational content about virus genomes, improving the accessibility of virology knowledge. In Nigeria, the is fighting to erase stigma around menstruation through content and peer support groups, while simultaneously creating sustainable pads from affordable, local materials. The in The Philippines developed a nutrient-packed, shelf-stable cookie advancing both daily nutrition and disaster preparedness.
A student from Sackhere Public School No. 2 working in the lab
Finally, in Canada, is learning about Goal 8: Decent Work and Economic Growth with their project exploring how a Fair Trade product is produced and distributed and in the USA, School is exploring Goal 9: Industry, Innovation, and Infrastructure with their wildfire alarm system.
Help spread the word about the Ciena Solutions Challenge
It is inspiring to see these students take up the mantle of sustainability in their communities, working together to produce such innovative projects. We are excited by the thought that they can bring these skills with them into their future careers, becoming advocates for sustainability as they become the decision makers of tomorrow. To meet the remaining $750 prize winners, view the from Digital Promise.
Help us inspire more sustainability leaders in schools around the word by sharing the Ciena Solutions Challenge with an educator in your life. You can about the Challenge, access , or get inspired by browsing the . Then, if you think a school or educator in your community would be interested in participating, spread the word on !