From April 22 to 26, 2026, the 2026 Conrad Spirit of Innovation Challenge Global Finals concluded at the Space Center Houston, USA. Among top young STEM innovators from around the world, the SSBS "Soaring Seeds" team stood out with solid scientific research capabilities, outstanding business acumen and strong social responsibility. They claimed the Global Grand Champion in the Water and Sustainable Development category and were officially honored as Pete Conrad Scholars!

Team Members

Mi Xiaotong, Qian Jingyi, Dong Zhihan, Yi Yi(other school), Li Muyan

Moment of Glory

As the top winner of this year’s competition, the team not only received the championship trophy but also was granted full funding for a 5-day summer program at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT), including round-trip airfare, hotel accommodation and all meals. This is a strong testament to the international recognition of SSBS students’ innovative projects by top academic and industrial leaders worldwide.

Founded in 2005, the Conrad Spirit of Innovation Challenge is named after Astronaut Pete Conrad, the third human to walk on the moon. With NASA as its long-term official supporter, the competition carries a profound heritage of scientific and technological exploration. The top winners of each category are awarded the title of Pete Conrad Scholars, a highly prestigious lifelong honor in global youth STEM innovation.

The competition is widely recognized as the world’s first youth international contest that deeply integrates scientific knowledge, innovation capacity and entrepreneurship. Covering STEM to business innovation and scientific exploration to real product commercialization, it guides students through the full cycle of project development, product creation and business operation.

From Community Service

to the World Stage

Behind this championship lies a five-year public welfare journey that began in the pastoral areas of Qinghai in 2021. Supported by the SSBS student club platform, the team has visited the plateau for years and witnessed the real drinking water safety challenges faced by families in remote pastures. These young innovators decided to use technology to address real-world needs.

Within the club, they practiced peer collaborative growth — senior students mentoring juniors, cross-school cooperation and resource sharing. Backed by SSBS’s continuous investment and resource support in innovative education, the team progressed from field research to prototype iteration, from laboratory testing to on-site verification on the plateau, and finally developed an intelligent self-cleaning water purification system adaptable to extreme environments.

This is a vivid practice of deeply integrating youth innovation with public welfare: measuring the land with footsteps, responding to people’s livelihood with technology, taking innovation out of the classroom, and bringing services to those most in need.