America’s Future Summit 2026: The Winners

While America’s Future Summit saw many amazing, inspired pitches from highly motivated teams, only three teams could take the top spots. Here are the podium winners from America’s Future Summit 2026. 

1st Place: The Climate Champions

The Climate Champions pitched their idea to support local, small, immigrant-owned businesses with transition to low-energy use options, starting with LED (low-energy use) lightbulbs. As the first place winners, they took home $5,000 to use toward implementing their idea in real life. 

The Climate Champions: Cora Gentry, Ida Thoreen, Emma Connelly, and Malin Moore

2nd Place: Blaine High School

The Blaine High School team pitched their idea to establish school food composting and biogas production in partnership with a local biogas site. They received $1,000 to use toward making their idea a reality. 

The Blaine High School team: Amogh Patil, Cayden Moua, Taison Scofield, Danica Scofield, and Lincoln Vang

3rd Place: The Youths

The Youths, hailing from Pelican Rapids, pitched their idea to establish monthly teacher/student lunches to bridge divides between students & adults and strengthen students’ feelings of support and belonging in school. They received $1,000 to use toward making their idea a reality.

The Youths: Avah Pixley, Willa Munick, Ibrahim Saric, Ryan Vo, Dominic Julsrus, Lluvia Deluna Julsrud, Phoebe Peter, Jace Anderson