Istanbul, Türkiye — Youth Break the Boundaries officially announced the High School Category – Best Idea Innovation winners at the Istanbul Youth Summit 2026. The category highlights high school students who develop innovative ideas to address real issues in education, health, and social development.
Through a rigorous evaluation process, judges selected the top three groups based on the urgency of the issues they raised, the strength of their solutions, sustainability, and implementation potential. As a result, the selected projects demonstrated that innovation and leadership can begin at an early age.
Moreover, the program challenged students to move beyond theoretical thinking. Participants analyzed real-world problems, designed structured solutions, and presented their ideas to experts. Consequently, they gained practical experience in problem-solving, collaboration, and critical thinking.
1st Place – Group 6: TB Prevention – Better Health for Better Life
Group 6 (Ar-Rahmah Batch 2) secured first place with a project addressing tuberculosis (TB), one of the most prevalent diseases worldwide. According to their research, Indonesia ranks second globally with more than one million TB cases.
Therefore, the team designed a preventive health initiative through school-based programs, including:
- Saturday Exercise to promote regular physical activity
- Sunday Cleaning to maintain hygiene in school and dormitory areas
- Health Seminars in collaboration with two hospitals and healthcare professionals
- A Student Health Ambassador program
- A broader social campaign promoting health awareness
The project impressed judges due to its strong data foundation, institutional collaboration, and long-term sustainability. Furthermore, it encourages students to adopt healthy lifestyles that prevent disease from an early age.
2nd Place – Group 7: Encouraging Literacy and Reading Culture
Group 7 from Ar-Rahmah earned second place with an initiative focused on strengthening students’ reading habits. The team identified several barriers to literacy, including:
- Limited comfortable reading spaces
- Unengaging book content
- Difficulty understanding reading materials
To overcome these challenges, they designed several structured literacy programs, such as:
- Literacy Night every Saturday to build consistent reading habits
- Public speaking sessions where students present what they read
- Group discussions to strengthen comprehension and critical thinking
During the judges’ session, the team was asked about expanding the program to other schools. In response, they proposed sending formal proposals and inviting schools to observe the program directly.
As a result, the project stood out for its practicality, scalability, and strong potential for replication.
3rd Place – Group 9: Protecting Youth from Worker Exploitation
Group 9 (Anwr Mayas, Nurzada Syidalyeva, Jawahir Nanees) secured third place with a project addressing youth labor exploitation.
The team highlighted that many teenagers begin working at 14–15 years old without sufficient information about working conditions. Consequently, young workers often become vulnerable to exploitation.
To address this issue, they proposed the development of an informative digital application that allows youth to access verified information about potential jobs. The platform aims to help teenagers make safer and more informed decisions before entering the workforce.
Judges recognized the project for its relevance to current social challenges and its potential to protect youth rights through digital innovation.
Voices from the Delegates
Participants also shared their experiences while developing their projects and preparing their presentations.
“I think the biggest challenge was the presentation training. There were many revisions and preparations,” said Haikal Muhammad Akbar, a delegate from Ar-Rahmah Boarding School who received multiple awards at the summit. Notably, Haikal was awarded Best Presenter in the High School Category.
His experience reflects the dedication and persistence required to transform ideas into impactful solutions.
Also read : Istanbul Youth Summit 2026 Future Innovator Winners: Youth Projects Driving Sustainable Impact
Conclusion
The High School Best Idea Innovation winners at Istanbul Youth Summit 2026 demonstrate the remarkable potential of young innovators. Their projects address critical issues such as public health, literacy development, and youth labor protection.
Through Istanbul Youth Summit 2026, Youth Break the Boundaries continues to empower students worldwide to think critically, collaborate globally, and create sustainable impact.
Ultimately, these young innovators prove that meaningful change begins with courageous ideas—and the determination to turn those ideas into reality.
