Seventeen local high school teams presented solutions at Aspen Challenge: Boston addressing issues ranging from gun violence, affordable housing, to access to green spaces, and more
Contact: Eric Baker
Media Relations Manager
eric.baker@aspeninstitute.org
Media Relations Manager
Boston, MA, April 30, 2025 – Today, the Aspen Challenge, a program of the Aspen Institute, founded in partnership with the Bezos Family Foundation, announced that Edward M. Kennedy Academy for Health Careers, Excel High School, and Margartia Muñiz Academy are the winning schools of the Aspen Challenge: Boston. Aspen Challenge: Boston, presented in partnership with Boston Public Schools saw entries from 17 local public high schools on how to tackle issues identified by the students themselves that affect the city of Boston daily. At today’s Solution Showcase, school teams of approximately eight students presented to a panel of local expert judges and their peers.
Held at Artists for Humanity, the students’ solutions addressed gun violence, post-secondary opportunities, substance abuse on social media, access to green spaces, and housing. Teams presented on stage to the judges and held a standing exhibit fair in which judges and other schools’ teams could see their research and ask further questions. Students had ten weeks from the initial Challenge in February to select, research, implement, and record their findings on their projects that addressed one of the five challenge areas above. Each team was also provided with $500 of seed money as an initial investment in their project.
After the presentation and fair, the judges awarded the winning three teams an all-expense paid trip to present their solutions at the Aspen Ideas Festival, the Aspen Institute’s annual flagship gathering of global leaders, influencers, and entrepreneurs in Aspen, Colorado this June 25 – July 1.
Grand prize winners:
Edward M. Kennedy Academy for Health Careers
The Edward M. Kennedy Academy for Health Careers rose to Dr. Brandy Brooks’s challenge to support unhoused youth by creating Streetlight—a toll-free texting service that connects students with homework help, housing resources, and a wide range of community organizations offering care and support.
Excel High School
Excel High School took on Manuel Oliver’s challenge to launch a media campaign that issues a call to action on gun violence by creating the memorable Red Chair, a physical symbol of the lives lost to guns in Boston and beyond. As part of the campaign, students also wrote an original song and produced a moving music video that deepens the emotional impact of their message.
Margartia Muñiz Academy
Margarita Muñiz Academy also took on Manuel Oliver’s challenge, creating a playbook for hosting panels and ongoing conversations about gun violence and its impact on communities within Boston. In partnership with local law enforcement and community-based organizations, the students of BOSschoolsafety convened an inclusive first conversation at their high school that drew a crowd of 350 attendees.
Other Awards
Boston International Newcomers Academy took home the Originality Award, Boston Arts Academy took home the Collaboration Award, and The English High School nabbed the Resilience Award. Edward M. Kennedy also won the People’s Choice Award.
Launched by the Aspen Institute and Bezos Family Foundation in 2012, the Aspen Challenge provides inspiration, tools, and a platform for young people to address critical issues and become leaders in their communities. All participating school districts host the Aspen Challenge for two years. This year was the Aspen Challenge’s second year in San Diego at which San Diego Metropolitan Regional Career and Technical High School took home the grand prize for their project, “Spill the Tea,” a student-led campaign to foster open dialogue about substance use and champion the well-being of LGBTQIA+ youth through inclusive community support, monthly partnerships, and access to vital resources. The Aspen Challenge will return to Boston next February to partner with Boston Public Schools to uplift young civic leaders to build tangible solutions in their communities.
Participating Schools:
- Another Course to College
- Boston Adult Technical Academy
- Boston Arts Academy
- Boston Green Academy
- Boston International Newcomers Academy
- Boston Latin Academy
- Boston Latin School
- Brighton High School
- Charlestown High School
- Dr. William W. Henderson Inclusion School
- Edward M. Kennedy Academy for Health Careers
- Excel High School
- Fenway High School
- Margarita Muñiz Academy
- Mary Lyon Pilot High School
- TechBoston Academy
- The English High School
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The Aspen Challenge provides inspiration, tools, and a platform for young people to design solutions to some of the most critical problems humanity faces. For more information on Aspen Challenge, please visit www.aspenchallenge.org.
Boston Public Schools, the birthplace of American public education, is dedicated to providing a world-class learning experience for every student. BPS educates 54,000 students in 125 schools, 74 percent of the school-age children who live in Boston. BPS is proud to be one of the most diverse school districts in the nation. Nearly one in every two students speaks a language other than English at home, and BPS students come from 139 different countries. One in five BPS students has a disability, and half are economically disadvantaged. Under the leadership of Superintendent Mary Skipper, the district collaborates with families, community members, and students to foster a supportive and innovative environment with a strong commitment to educational equity and excellence. For more information, visit www.bostonpublicschools.org.
Bezos Family Foundation: The Bezos Family Foundation envisions a world in which all young people reach their full potential and meaningfully contribute to society. The Foundation pursues that vision by making grants and by operating their own programs, with the aim of fueling the science of learning and enabling its application in a variety of settings. The Foundation’s mission is to invest in the science of learning and the experiences that youth need from birth to high school to pursue their own path for success. For more information, visit www.bezosfamilyfoundation.org.