Above: Youth Division competitors at the AIC finals 2026 holding their checks with sponsor and CBSM representatives. Photo credit: Beyond the Box Innovation often begins with simply noticing a persistent problem. It might be the staggering cost of heating a home through a long winter, the difficulty of accessing clean water, or just the need to make everyday work a little more efficient. For the nearly 100 people who submitted ideas to the Arctic Innovation Competition in 2026, those obstacles sparked big solutions. Many of the ideas were tested in Alaska, where record-breaking winter weather intensified the very challenges they aimed to solve. For competitors, the cold wasn’t a deterrent, it was a muse. You could feel the resilient energy at the 8 Star Events Center in Fairbanks this April as finalists gathered to prove that the best solutions often emerge from the harshest environments.
Vjosa Pellumbi and her brother Drini hold medallions and their check after winning first place in the 2026 Arctic Innovation Competition’s Main Division. They are joined by CBSM Associate Dean Mark Hermann, engineer Justin Seavey of Usibelli Coal Mine and Lisa Putnam, Usibelli’s vice president of public relations. Photo Credit: Sarah Lewis Photography Among the finalists were twins Vjosa and Drini Pellumbi, whose Arctic Heat Recovery System earned first place in the main division. Their concept focuses on improving heating efficiency and reducing fuel use in rural homes, a challenge that resonates across much of Alaska. As undergraduate mechanical engineering students at the University of Alaska Anchorage, their win marked a step toward future work in the field. In a historic sweep for the competition, they also secured three additional kicker prizes in the Alaska college student, climate and sustainability categories. For them, the prize was a milestone, but the real excitement is in seeing their idea begin to take flight.
Junior Division first-place winners, the Archaeological Auto Sifter team, pose together with their check and photo booth props. Photo Credit: Beyond the Box
Across the competition, that same spirit was everywhere. In the junior division, Cade Albert, Josiah Bundy, Josiah Humphries, Atticus Langston, Aaro Mackey and Noah Skutley of CyberLynx Homeschool in Fairbanks took first place with their project, Archaeological Auto Sifter. The portable device features interchangeable mesh trays, an off-center rotating disc and a spring system that generates a shaking motion to help sift archaeological material more efficiently. They were joined by fellow junior competitors from King Tech High School in Anchorage, who attended AIC finals before heading to their prom later that evening. This dedication and enthusiasm for innovation defined the competition.
In the cub division, young innovator Grail Conley returned to the competition and again took first place with a concept to extract water from the air, an ambitious idea shaped by the realities of limited infrastructure in parts of Alaska. This year saw strong participation from K–12 students. In classrooms like Rachel Ventress’s in Nome, students are learning to see their surroundings differently, not just as challenges to navigate, but as opportunities to create change.
Left, Rachel Ventress stands with Alaska529 representative Shea Bredlie after receiving the Classroom of the Future Award. Photo Credit: Sarah Lewis Photography
“It has been really neat to use Arctic Innovation because it’s a relevant exercise that encourages students to look around, identify problems or things they wish were different, and then develop solutions that are relevant to our rural Alaska setting,” Ventress said during the final event. “Almost every project they came up with is specific to our region and the challenges we face living in such a unique place. As an educator, that was a really rewarding experience to see.”
What stood out most throughout the entire competition was the sheer range of ideas and the willingness to try. Each entry, whether it advanced to the finals or not, began with someone choosing to engage with a problem and imagine a solution. The winter may have been historically cold, but the ideas it inspired brought their own kind of warmth. For a full list of winners and an overview of their ideas, visit the AIC website.
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Edited by Theresa Bakker and Anna Nevison
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Written by: Stacey Currie Edited By: Theresa Bakker and Anna Nevison