Aspen is a place for leaders to lift their sights above the possessions which possess them. To confront their own nature as human beings, to regain control over their own humanity by becoming more self-aware, more self-correcting, and hence more self-fulfilling.

Walter P. Paepcke, Aspen Institute Co-Founder

Detroit Students Show What’s Possible: Aspen Challenge Names Winners of Solution Showcase

The Detroit International Academy for Young Women and Henry Ford High School named grand prize winners; student teams from across Detroit Public Schools Community District tackle substance use, food insecurity, community violence, and more.

Detroit, MI, April 29, 2026 – The Aspen Challenge, a program of the Aspen Institute, today named the Detroit International Academy for Young Women and Henry Ford High School the grand prize winners of the inaugural Aspen Challenge: Detroit. Presented in partnership with Detroit Public Schools Community District (DPSCD), Aspen Challenge: Detroit saw entries from 24 local public high school teams addressing issues that affect Detroit daily. At the Solution Showcase, student teams presented their innovations to a panel of local expert judges and their peers.

Held at the College for Creative Studies, students’ solutions focused on substance use, food insecurity, community violence prevention, school experience, and digital wellness. Teams presented on stage to the judges and held a standing exhibit fair in which judges and other school teams could examine their research and ask questions. Students had ten weeks from the initial Challenge Forum in February to select, research, implement, and record their findings on projects that addressed one of the five challenge areas. Each team is also eligible to apply for $500 of seed money as an additional investment in their project.

Following the student presentations, the judges deliberated and selected two winning teams to receive the grand prize. Winners will take an all-expense-paid trip to present their solutions at the Aspen Ideas Festival, the Aspen Institute’s annual flagship gathering of global leaders, advocates, and entrepreneurs in Aspen, Colorado, June 25–July 1.

Grand Prize Winners

Detroit International Academy for Young Women 
The Detroit International Academy for Young Women addressed food insecurity with their solution, “The Pink Planters.” The team researched the barriers preventing community members from accessing fresh produce and closed those gaps by providing education, resources, and healthy recipes tailored to their neighbors’ needs.

Henry Ford High School 
Henry Ford High School’s “Disconnect To Reconnect Detroit” program invited students to unplug from their devices and engage with their neighborhood parks. Through camping games and outdoor bonding, the project fostered real-world connections between underclassmen and their environment.

Other Awards

The Detroit School of Arts earned The People’s Choice Award for “Next Gen Artistry,”  aimed at improving the school experience. The School at Marygrove took home the Collaboration Award for their project, “The Grove,” which addressed food insecurity. Crockett Midtown High School of Science and Medicine earned the Community Engagement Award for “Midtown Market Movement,” also focused on food insecurity. Western International High School received the Originality Award for “Truth Tellers,” addressing substance use. The Resilience Award went to Academy of the Americas for “Socius Soteria,” a digital wellness platform. 

Participating Schools

Twenty-four Detroit Public Schools Community District high school teams participated in Aspen Challenge: Detroit 2026, including:

  • Academy of the Americas
  • Cass Technical High School
  • Caught Up
  • Central High School
  • Cody High School
  • Communication and Media Arts High School
  • Crockett Midtown High School of Science and Medicine
  • Davis Aerospace Technical High School at Golightly
  • Denby High School
  • Detroit International Academy for Young Women
  • Detroit Lions Academy
  • Detroit School of Arts
  • East English Village Preparatory Academy at Finney
  • Frederick Douglass Academy for Young Men
  • Henry Ford High School
  • Martin Luther King Jr. Senior High School
  • Mumford High School
  • Northwestern High School
  • Osborn High School
  • Pershing High School
  • Renaissance High School
  • Southeastern High School
  • The School at Marygrove
  • Western International High School


About Aspen Challenge
Launched in a new U.S. city each year, the Aspen Challenge provides high school students with a platform to engage deeply with community issues and design impactful solutions. Through mentorship, expert input, and peer collaboration, young people enhance their leadership and problem-solving capacities while contributing to the vitality of their communities. Past Aspen Challenge cities include Boston, San Diego, Brooklyn, New Orleans, and others.

Partner District
Detroit Public Schools Community District (DPSCD) is Michigan’s largest public education system, serving 52,528 students across 108 schools. It is governed by a locally elected, seven-member board with Dr. Nikolai Vitti serving as superintendent. Anchored by its mission to educate and empower every student, in every community, every day, to build a stronger Detroit, the district is guided by a whole-child approach that provides rigorous, standards-aligned instruction, expanding arts programming, and comprehensive wraparound services to prepare students for college, careers, and leadership in the city. In collaboration with more than 200 business, civic, community, and faith-based partners, the district continues to strengthen student achievement and advance educational excellence across Detroit.

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Contact: Ben Berliner
Senior Associate, Media Relations
[email protected]