NEXT 2023 Special Awards

Magellan Award

This award recognizes students who have completed solutions in the 6 competitive categories.

DaVinci Award

This award is offered for exceptional creativity (not skill or talent), a unique approach to the problem, and/or risk taking.

Renaissance Award

This award is offered for exceptional skill in the areas of engineering, design, or performance.

Spirit of Discovery & Imagination Award (Spirit of DI)

This award is offered for exceptional Spirit, Teamwork, Volunteerism, and Sportsmanship.

Torchbearer Award (for Project Outreach)

This award honors teams and/or individuals whose solutions have had extraordinary impact in and beyond the local community.

This award recognizes students who have completed solutions in the 6 competitive categories.

Aditi Shah

Anirudh Thota

Pranavu Tharagaram

Sachchit Balamurugan

Sanjith Chandran

Balatripura Somanchi

Srishti Shetty

This award is offered for exceptional creativity (not skill or talent), a unique approach to the problem, and/or risk taking.

I am thinking? | Independent

750-04993

Flip The Script (Fine Arts - Elementary Level)

For outstanding creativity in Central Challenge.

This team composed and recorded 5 full minutes of music using piano and guitar with matching choreography. Creating a soundtrack that changes the tone of a presentation is a huge challenge, but this team’s music clearly conveyed emotions and enhanced all parts of the presentation, including a well executed fight scene.

Creative Creatures | Independent

750-02699

Flip The Script (Fine Arts - Secondary Level)

For outstanding risk-taking & creativity in Central Challenge.

This team took appraisers down a rabbit hole of creativity. Not only was their Mad Hatter was stuck in time, but the tea was too!

4 of a Kind | Independent

750-92730

Thrill Ride (Engineering - Secondary Level)

For outstanding creativity & innovation in Central Challenge

This team stood the world on its head by using story elements as the backdrop and the Coaster as the Center of attention. What started as a bundle of sticks transformed into a helix. Our jaws dropped as the coaster rose, then tested, tweaked, and bloomed its way into greatness, against the setting of a morality play about procrastination.

This award is offered for exceptional skill in the areas of engineering, design, or performance.

Boon Birds | Allen ISD

750-58186

Flip the Script (Fine Arts - Elementary Level)

For excellent in design and engineering in Central Challenge

From their innovative stained glass focus shift, to the shocking tumbling scenery flip, appraisers were WOWed by this team’s attention to detail. They also created 3.5 prototypes before arriving on their final design for a “functional” cardboard wood chopper.

The Magic Beans | Frisco ISD

750-98098

Flip the Script (Fine Arts - Middle Level)

For excellent in performance in Central Challenge

This team took battle to a new level, slaying the giant never rhymed so well. Their creative performance and integration of the literary device went above and beyond!

Five Leaf Clover | Frisco ISD

750-93300

Thrill Ride (Engineering - Middle Level)

For excellence in design & engineering in Central Challenge.

Engineering, at least this year, involves budgeting Gravity as it encounters forces and angles and curves. The team went above and beyond-- their coaster took the huge risk of omitting side-rails, included a negative slope section, and a set of templates to make the heart-stopping tests almost routine. We truly thrilled at the story of leaves dropping, swooping, and dropping again through the digestion of a giraffe. We would compare it to clockwork, but that takes too long.

Carpe Deim | Independent

750-43249

Showdown (Improvisational - Secondary Level)

For excellence in design and performance in Central Challenge

This team made us lift off when they created an airplane with their bodies in response to a complication. Designing colorful floral bouquets out of trash bags, they used these to enhance the figure of a team member, rendering him a living theatrical set. Watching this team use the materials along with their bodies to continually create was a big highlight of our day.

DIdeas | Independent

750-59947

Piece by Piece (Technical - Secondary Level)

For excellence in design, & performance in Central Challenge

This team transported us back to Babylon and blew us away with their song, precarious balancing lion statue, and overall visual spectacle. From their ingenious QR system to the uphill water aqueduct, every moment wowed us with their creativity and ingenious engineering.

This award is offered for exceptional Spirit, Teamwork, Volunteerism, and Sportsmanship.

Random Ransom Riot | Allen ISD

750-48535

Flip The Script (Fine Arts - Elementary Level)

For outstanding spirit, teamwork and sportsmanship

After an delicate prop shattered in in the prep area, this Elementary team leapt in calm, collaborative action to help their TM and the appraisers clean up the mess. At the same time, they brainstormed, encouraged each other, and executed a backup plan using the undamaged parts of the prop and other materials they happened to have on hand. Their reaction and adaptation showed top notch teamwork and amazing team spirit.