Student innovators and entrepreneurs, the Center for Creative Solutions wants to hear about you! For the 10th year, area students will be honored for their innovative products and projects during World Creativity & Innovation Week, April 15-21, 2026.
The honors will go to area K-12 students working alone or in teams. Their project, product or process must demonstrate a reasonable level of creativity and innovation, noted Cynthia Hedge, Center CEO. It may be in any area of interest, such as technology, the arts, trades/professions, writing, science, business, cooking, designing, to name a few.
“Young innovators and entrepreneurs often drive the change that leads to economic and social growth. They bring fresh perspectives, energy, and technical proficiency to solve complex problems. Along with the Morgan Family Foundation, we are pleased to recognize their contributions to our community,” Hedge said.
The one-page application may be submitted by a student, teacher or anyone from Northwest Indiana. The application covers three areas of inquiry:
1. What was the inspiration for the project/product? Why did the student begin it?
2. What was the creative process? How did the nominee begin the process? What steps did the student take? Did anything surprise the student? Were there any problems that had to be overcome? How did the nominee deal with those challenges?
3. What is the end result?
The application deadline is March 16, 2026. Winners will be announced during Northwest Indiana’s celebration of World Creativity & Innovation Week. Winners will receive public recognition and a monetary award.
Nomination forms may be found and submitted on the website, CenterforCreativeSolutions.
Community partners for World Creativity & Innovation Week include Art-on-the-Air, Lakeshore Public Media; Divine Vintage Story Walk; La Porte County Visitors & Convention Bureau; Society of Innovators at Purdue Northwest Indiana; The Nest; Westville Public Library; and WIMS Radio. The week’s celebration is made possible in part by the Bethany Church Foundation of La Porte; B. R. Foundation; Family Express Corporation; Morgan Family Foundation; and the Indiana Arts Commission, a state agency, and the National Endowment for the Arts, a federal agency.
Currently, 160 countries observe World Creativity & Innovation Week. The United Nations has designated April 21 as World Creativity & Innovation Day. For a look at the week’s international activities, check out https://wciw.org
For more information, go to the CenterforCreativeSolutions.