SCHOTT North America Innovation Challenge: Rules, Terms, and Conditions 2025-2026

I. RULES AND PARTICIPATION

ELIGIBILITY:

The Innovation Challenge (the “Challenge”) is open to any student (13 to 18 years of age) currently enrolled in a public or private high school within the United States of America.

Up to three individual entries are permitted (teams are prohibited). No purchase or payment of any kind is required to enter or win the Challenge or any prize. The Challenge is considered a game of skill and shall be governed by these Rules, Terms, and Conditions.

Registration and submissions must be completed by the due date referenced below using the online application form. A separate completed form is required for each entry.

Parental/Guardian Authorization for Minors
By submitting an application to participate in the Challenge, applicants under the age of 18 confirm that they have obtained permission from their parent or legal guardian and authorize SCHOTT North America, Inc. to contact their parent or legal guardian to confirm such permission. Parental consent authorizes their participation in the challenge and acceptance of its terms and conditions.

The parent/legal guardian will have the opportunity to decline consent, in which case the applicant’s application will be withdrawn.

 

CHALLENGE THEME:

The challenge is to design and prototype a solution that makes life better, easier, or more sustainable.

Objective: Invent and prototype a device, tool, or system that solves a real-world problem people face in daily life—at home, school, in the community, or in nature.

Application Submission Guidelines:

  • Individual Participation
  • STEAM Integration: Your solution should involve at least two STEAM elements (e.g., engineering design, scientific principle, artistic creativity, or mathematical logic).
  • Video Presentation: Prepare and upload a video presentation explaining:
    • The problem you are solving
    • What is your solution
    • How your solution works
    • Why it matters
    • Prototype Format: Present a physical or visual (drawing, diagram, digital) mockup prototype of your innovation within your Video Presentation 
  • PowerPoint Slides and/or visuals are highly recommended during the presentation.

The judges will review all entries and rate them based on the following criteria: articulation, innovation originality, creativity and design, clarity and conciseness explanation, and the passion for the innovation.

The top three students with the highest scores will be awarded prizes.

Any entries that include inappropriate or offensive content or that violate any applicable laws will be automatically disqualified.

 

PRIZE AWARDS:

First Prize = $1,000 Visa gift card and certificate award
Second Prize = $500 Visa gift card and certificate award
Third Prize = $250 Visa gift card and certificate award

These prizes will be awarded to the student, school official or to the parent/guardian of the winning participant.

 

TIMELINE:
  • Registration Opens: October 1, 2025
  • Submission Deadline: December 15, 2025, at 11:59 PM EST.
  • 1st, 2nd & 3rd Place winners announced: February 2026

Innovations developed by the registered contestants should be submitted at the website www.schott.com/en-us/schott-innovation-challenge-2025.


CONTACT INFORMATION: All questions can be directed by email to Lauren.Citrone@us.schott.com

 

II. TERMS & CONDITIONS

General Terms

The Challenge is subject to all applicable federal, state and local laws and regulations. No purchase or entry fee is required to enter or win. A purchase will not increase participants’ chances of winning.

All participants and parent/legal guardians must adhere to all federal, state, and local laws, ordinances, regulations, and orders, for all aspects of their participation in the Challenge. Each winning participant, or the parent/legal guardian for those participants under the age of 18, shall be solely responsible for all applicable federal, state, and/or local taxes, and the reporting consequences thereof, and for any other fees or costs associated with the prize awarded. Prizes are non-transferrable.

Participants and parent/legal guardians agree to release SCHOTT North America, Inc., their respective affiliates, and the employees, officers, directors and agents of each of them, and any persons involved with the development and operation of the Challenge (collectively, the “Released Parties”) from any and all liability, claims, or actions of any kind whatsoever for injuries, damages, or losses to person or property that may be sustained in connection with the receipt, ownership, or use of a prize or with participation in this Challenge.

SCHOTT North America, Inc. reserves the right, at its sole discretion, to disqualify participants who violate any of these Rules, Terms, and Conditions or who may make any misrepresentations relative to the Challenge. SCHOTT North America, Inc. shall have the right, at its sole discretion, to cancel, terminate, modify, or suspend the Challenge.

 

Photography And Video Release

By entering the Challenge, each participant and, where applicable, his/her parent/legal guardian agree to allow SCHOTT North America, Inc. to reference their names, submissions, and other materials submitted as part of the Challenge and to publicly use the participant’s name, image, likeness, and recordings associated with the Challenge for media and promotional purposes, without additional permission or compensation unless prohibited by law.

 

Privacy

Personal information provided in conjunction with participant submissions to the SCHOTT Innovation Challenge 2025 are subject to SCHOTT North America, Inc.’s data protection policy, available at https://www.schott.com/en-us/data-protection/data-protection-policy.

Participants agree that personal data, especially name and address may be processed, shared and otherwise used for the purposes and within the context of the Challenge. The data may also be used by SCHOTT North America, Inc. in order to verify the participant’s identity, postal address and telephone number or to otherwise verify the participant’s eligibility to participate in the Challenge.