Cogniventorᴱˢᴸ 2026

Cogniventor^EsL Teams

The 2026 cohort invites student innovators aged 13–18 to form teams that are inventive, bold, and collaborative. Team composition is flexible: members can come from the same school, different schools, or neighboring villages. Physical distance is not a barrier; what matters is that team members can coordinate, communicate, and collaborate effectively. Each team must have at least three members, as collaboration and cross-pollination of ideas are essential to the learning journey.

We particularly encourage cross-boundary teams, where students from different schools or communities come together. Such teams enrich perspectives, deepen problem-solving approaches, and model the very essence of innovation in diverse, real-world contexts. Teams are guided to identify genuine challenges in their local environments, whether those challenges are small but persistent daily issues or opportunities for broader community impact. Importantly, community engagement is central: students will test and validate their solutions in real settings, gathering feedback, iterating, and ensuring the innovations truly address local needs.

Mentorship & Training

Every team is paired with an experienced mentor who provides hands-on guidance throughout the program. Mentors help students navigate ideation, prototyping, testing, and community validation, ensuring that learning is joyful, immersive, and grounded in real-world problem-solving. Mentor contact hours are emphasized, as the goal is to transfer knowledge, spark curiosity, and nurture critical thinking.

Throughout the program, students will participate in workshops on design thinking, engineering fundamentals, electronics, coding, robotics, and collaborative problem-solving. They will also receive technical support and consultancy, ensuring that resources and expertise are available whenever needed.

Each team will be equipped with a CognivenKitEsL, tailored to their project requirements. The kit includes electronics, prototyping materials, and tools for building functional models. Teams are expected to develop a minimum viable product (MVP) that demonstrates their concept in practice. Successful teams will also receive support to explore enterprise opportunities, helping ideas move beyond prototypes into real-world impact.

Additionally, all ideas generated in the program will be licensed under Creative Commons (CC BY), ensuring that innovations can be shared, adapted, and celebrated across the wider community, while giving proper credit to the inventors.

Documentation & Storytelling

Throughout the programme, teams actively engage their local communities to test prototypes, gather feedback, and validate solutions. The aim is to produce projects that are grounded in real needs and have tangible impact.

Successful teams are supported to develop a minimum viable product (MVP) and explore early-stage enterprise opportunities, receiving guidance on technical resources, prototyping, and business planning. All ideas are licensed under CC BY to encourage open innovation and sharing.

Remote collaboration tools, mentor guidance, and community interactions are woven into the programme to provide a joyful, hands-on learning environment. Students experience the full cycle of ideation, prototyping, testing, and iteration.

Community Involvement & MVP Development

A cornerstone of the 2026 program is documentation. Every team will keep a detailed project journal, recording design decisions, iterations, testing outcomes, and reflections. This is not just a requirement—it is a key part of the learning journey, helping students articulate ideas, track progress, and reflect on their growth as innovators.

Teams are encouraged to interact with other teams, both remotely and during get-togethers. They will share insights, learn from each other’s approaches, celebrate milestones collectively, and refine their MVPs with constructive feedback. This peer-to-peer and community engagement nurtures a sense of shared purpose and demonstrates that innovation thrives in collaborative ecosystems.

The program culminates at the ESL iNNOVATION Expo, where all teams showcase their validated, working prototypes to mentors, peers, industry experts, and community stakeholders. This is a moment to shine, inspire, and be inspired, and for outstanding teams, it opens doors to further mentorship, networking, and opportunities to scale their solutions.