NFTE’s purpose is to lead the global movement for equitable access to entrepreneurship education and ignite the entrepreneurial mindset to empower students to own their futures.
The World Series of Innovation has three primary objectives:
1. Global Awareness of Entrepreneurship as the Driver of Innovation
2. Activation of the Entrepreneurial Mindset
3. Workforce Readiness
The World Series of Innovation (WSI) is a global competition where students, working in teams of up to four members, create entrepreneurial ideas to solve real-world challenges. The competition runs annually, with several challenge categories open to students from September to December. Students register on a free, open-to-all online platform to submit their ideas, identifying a target customer, explaining the customer problem, and outlining their business idea and model.
NFTE partners with Innovation Partners to host ideation sessions, providing a space for students to brainstorm, refine ideas, and receive feedback. Volunteer innovation coaches guide students during these sessions, offering real-world insights and helping them develop their competition submissions. These coaching sessions give students hands-on experience in innovation and problem-solving.
After submissions close, entries go through the first round of judging, where they are evaluated for innovation, feasibility, market impact, and sustainability. The top 10 teams advance to the final round, where each team creates a 1-minute pitch video to further support their submission. The top 3 teams in each challenge are selected by challenge sponsors and experts.
This process provides students with valuable feedback and an opportunity to address global challenges through entrepreneurship.
To date, the World Series of Innovation (WSI) has engaged over 56,000 young people worldwide, with 15,174 innovations submitted and 328 Innovation Days hosted. Recognized in HundrED's Global Collection and as a WEF Education 4.0 Lighthouse, WSI saw a 43% participation increase last year. In 2024, we launched the Imagination League for students ages 5 to 12, reaching 1,161 students globally.
WSI also grew international volunteerism, with 1,300+ coaches and judges in the 2024-25 cycle. We have expanded accessibility, offering translations in English, Spanish, Arabic, Hindi, and Simplified Chinese, with plans for Portuguese and French pending funding. As we grow, we remain committed to fostering innovation and creativity worldwide.
We have modified the World Series of Innovation by adding the Imagination League, a new category designed specifically for students aged 5 to 12. This expansion allows younger participants to engage in innovation in a fun and accessible way, encouraging creativity, imagination, and problem-solving skills at an earlier stage of education. In the Imagination League, students are tasked with solving simple, age-appropriate challenges, such as designing a new game or creating a solution to a common school problem. The submission process is streamlined to accommodate younger students, focusing on drawings, models, and brief descriptions of their ideas instead of more complex business plans. Volunteer innovation coaches guide these young participants through hands-on activities, helping them develop their ideas while providing a supportive and educational environment. Judging in the Imagination League emphasizes creativity and effort, with prizes designed to celebrate the students' ingenuity. By adding this league, we’re broadening the reach of WSI and inspiring the next generation of innovators from a younger age.
As a student or educator, you can visit the WSI site to explore the innovation challenges - https://innovation.nfte.com.
Educators and organizations looking to implement this program with their students should reach out to wsi@nfte.com to explore how they can become an Innovation Partner to bring Innovation Days to their community.
