EXPLORE · Central America · Nicaragua

SOLVE FOR TOMORROW · 2026

Nicaragua.

Lakes, volcanoes, and community health.

REGION: Central America
LANGUAGE: Spanish

Nicaragua palette · Azul lago

THE CHALLENGE

Innovation with purpose, in Nicaragua.

The 2026 edition of Samsung Solve for Tomorrow in Nicaragua invites student teams to pick one of the four global themes and tackle it from a local lens. Define a real problem in your city, school, or region. Then design, build, and test a prototype that solves it.

What you'll build. A working prototype, whether hardware, software, service, or social, that tackles a specific problem in your community. Your solution should be original, testable, and rooted in real user needs.

Who leads. Student teams of 3–5, guided by a teacher-mentor. Judges score on insight, originality, prototype quality, and local impact.

THE 4 THEMES

PICK YOUR THEME.
FOUR PATHS.

Nicaragua runs on the four global themes of the programme. Pick the one that fires you up, every team starts here.

THEME · 01 / 04

Sustainability & the Environment

Care for the planet and build a better future.

How could you design a more efficient, sustainable, or smart solution for your community?

THEME · 02 / 04

Health & Well-being

Improve physical and emotional well-being.

How could you create a more effective way to improve health or prevent problems in your environment?

THEME · 03 / 04

Supporting the Community

Strengthen communities and support people.

How could you build a solution that truly works and reaches the people who need it most?

THEME · 04 / 04

Sport for Everyone

Use sport as a tool for positive impact.

How could you adapt, improve, or reinvent sport so more people, including people with disabilities, can take part and benefit?

KEY DATES · Nicaragua

FIVE STAGES.
SIX MONTHS.

From the first idea to the national final. Every team runs the same five stages, here's what happens, and when.

01
Inspiration
Apr 30 — Jul 17
Teachers train as Solve for Tomorrow Tutors with Design Thinking and Lean Canvas. Non-competitive, but it's where every classroom adventure starts.
COMPLETE
02
Ideation
Apr 30 — Jul 17
Students aged 14–19 in 8th–12th grade submit ideas to solve a real problem with STEM. Apply solo or as a team. The top 10 proposals per country move on.
COMPLETE
03
Co-Creation
Aug 1 — Aug 21
Semifinalists get intensive coaching to sharpen their problem, define who their solution serves, and project its community impact. The top 3 per country advance.
COMPLETE
04
Bootcamp
Aug 31 — Sep 18
Each finalist team is paired with a Samsung mentor and works on a conceptual prototype, an explainer video, and a sharper pitch.
ACTIVE
05
Champions
Sep 28 — Oct 23
The 3 finalist teams pitch live to a jury of STEM, entrepreneurship, and social-innovation experts. One team is named Solve for Tomorrow 2026 Champions of the country.
UPCOMING

IN THE RUNNING · Nicaragua

10 TEAMS STILL IN IT.

These teams came through Ideation and are now in Co-Creation, sharpening the problem they picked and who their solution is for. Three of them reach the Bootcamp.

SustainabilityIN Spanish
AquaSmart
Colegio Cristo ObreroManagua
SustainabilityIN Spanish
AquaSmart
Colegio madre del divino pastorManagua
CommunityIN Spanish
Contra-pasaj
Colegio tecnico niño jesus de pragaManagua
CommunityIN Spanish
Falta de iluminacion en las calles
Colegio tecnico niño jesus de pragaManagua
CommunityIN Spanish
Nuru
Colegio Cristo ObreroManagua
HealthIN Spanish
Nutriskin
Colegio tecnico niño jesus de pragaManagua
SustainabilityIN Spanish
Pavimento inteligente(eco road)
Centro educativo sor maria romeroManagua
CommunityIN Spanish
Resolver el problema de los constantes cortes de electricidad
Colegio tecnico niño jesus de pragaManagua
SustainabilityIN Spanish
Tala de árboles
Colegio tecnico niño jesus de pragaManagua
HealthIN Spanish
Tipitapa Linda.
Colegio Cordero de DiosTipitapa

Listed alphabetically by project title. The order is not a ranking.

PAST FINALISTS · Nicaragua

WHAT Nicaragua BUILT BEFORE.

Nicaragua · 2025

Yolixpan Tecno Escolar

Centro Educativo Sor María Romero

Aquaponic system to produce nutritious food in schools.

An ecosystem that feeds minds and bodies at school.

CONNECTED SDGs

SEE MORE PROJECTS

WHO CAN APPLY

ELIGIBILITY.

◐

Student teams

Ages 14–19, enrolled in grades 8–12 (or equivalent)
Apply solo or as a team, if you advance, you'll form a team of 3–5 with a teacher tutor
You can submit several ideas, but only continue with one team if you advance

◈

Teacher-mentor

One lead mentor per team, employed by the school
No prior innovation experience required
Mentor toolkit and online training provided

◇

Your idea

Original work started for this programme
Addresses a real problem in your community
Inspired by one of the 4 global themes, combine, reframe, or stretch them

◉

Language

Submissions in Spanish (English also accepted)
Video pitch: 90 seconds max
Project brief: up to 4 pages

* Full eligibility terms vary slightly by country law. Review the Nicaragua handbook before you register your team.

HOW TO PARTICIPATE

FIVE STEPS FROM
IDEA TO FINALIST.

Form your team

3–5 students, one teacher-mentor. Mixed ages and skills make the strongest entries.

Pick a local problem

Start from something you see every day in Nicaragua. Small and concrete beats big and vague.

Register online

Each edition opens applications at solvefortomorrowlatin.com. Takes about 10 minutes.

Build a prototype

Sketch your solution with what you have, paper, code, cardboard. The conceptual prototype gets sharper later in the Bootcamp, with a Samsung mentor.

Submit your pitch

Applications for 2026 closed on 17 July. If your idea advanced, you record a video, refine the prototype, and shape your pitch with Samsung mentors.

COMMON QUESTIONS

QUICK ANSWERS.

Yes, every team in Nicaragua must include at least one teacher-mentor, employed by your school. They don't need innovation experience; we provide the training.

OTHER CONTESTS · Central America