Nearly 1,000 entries participated in the competition, with the prestigious “STEAM Education” gold medal being awarded to outstanding young innovators.
The 2024 "You Are Da Vinci" Global Youth STEAM Innovation Award officially concluded in October after more than a hundred days of entry registration and submission, which began in May. The Da Vinci Innovation Award Organizing Committee received 969 entries from young participants aged 5 to 22 from various countries, including the United States, Canada, Australia, Singapore, Italy, France, Bangladesh ,Hong Kong, Macao, Taiwan, and mainland China. After multiple rounds of evaluation, 199 submissions were shortlisted. Ultimately, nine entries were awarded the prestigious Da Vinci Gold, Silver, Bronze, Da Vinci Code, and Mona Lisa Aesthetic Awards, while 30 entries received the Little Da Vinci “Whimsical Award,” resulting in a total of 39 winning entries and 48 honored participants.
Gold, Silver, and Bronze Awards
Xiaoting WANG from Beijing, China, led the Science4Girls team in presenting the project “STEAM Education in Informal Learning Environments: Amusement Park Renewal.” The project, which integrated the STEAM educational approach with business principles and utilized innovative contributions from the team in visual arts, brain science, and music, was highly praised by expert judges. The bold transformation of the amusement park aligned with the main theme of the Da Vinci Innovation Competition, showcasing excellence in scientific and technological ability, business thinking, and artistic innovation. As a result, the team secured the Gold Award, with an award rate of one in a thousand. This study represents the first field investigation of STEAM (Science, Technology, Engineering, Arts, and Mathematics) and Project-Based Learning (PBL) education in China, conducted at a playground in Tianjin with the goal of offering an innovative model for informal learning environments.
The winners of the Silver and Bronze Awards explored a broad range of topics, including sustainable development, aerospace, biomedicine, educational equity, ICH, animal conservation, robotics, and entrepreneurship. Their works demonstrated academic innovation through cross-disciplinary integration of science and art, with notable features such as social responsibility, humanistic concern, business leadership, and artistic impact. These characteristics reflect the qualities that top global universities seek in young talent.
Leonardo da Vinci Special Awards
Special awards, such as the “Da Vinci Code Award” and “Mona Lisa Aesthetic Award,” were presented to exceptional entries. The Aegis team, led by 17-year-old Yingxi TANG from San Francisco, USA, won the Da Vinci Code Award for their project “Tiansuan Constellation,” which was highly regarded by a panel of professors from renowned American institutions. Meanwhile, 9-year-old Yu Enqing from Beijing won the Mona Lisa Aesthetic Award for her project “Pony Pauli vs. China's Senior Color Scheme.”
The winners of the Gold, Silver, and Bronze Awards, along with recipients of special prizes, will have the opportunity to receive entrance scholarships ranging from $1,000 to $5,000 from the UN Sustainable Development STEAM Fund for Excellence. They may also be invited to showcase their work at the January 2025 Global Creative Literacy Winter Camp at Cambridge University, UK, and the August 2025 STEAM Summer Camp at Harvard University, USA.
In addition to the main awards, the competition featured numerous entries from younger children (ages 5-12) selected by various organizations. These entries, ranging from science fiction paintings and inventions to creative works on themes such as space exploration, engineering, AI, and agriculture, demonstrated the bold imagination and innovative spirit of these young minds.
The competition organizers hope that this event will inspire more children and young people to pursue science and art, follow their passions, and develop their skills to become the Change Makers of the AI era. Through this platform, they aim to nurture creativity and excellence, ultimately driving innovation and advancing human civilization.
We extend our congratulations to the following Gold, Silver, and Bronze Award winners:
Gold Medal AwardXiaoting WANG, 19, Science4Girls team: Wenqi ZHENG, Meixi WANG"STEAM Education in Informal Learning Environments: Amusement Park Renewal"
Silver Medal AwardYingxi TANG, 17, Aegis Team: MD AL MAMUN（Bangladesh）, Hebatullah Elnajjar "Tiansuan Constellation"
Junqiao WU, 16, Team Members: Lu Yuhao, Ji Chengzhi, Wu Jingcun, Ren Haoming, Wang Yixing"Design and Implementation of Underwater Machine Robot: Application Study for Lake Object Salvage"
Bronze Medal Award
Zelin TANG, 16"Food Allergy Rapid Tester"
Shenghao WANG, 14"Virtual Reality (VR) Experience of Fire Gourd Culture and Traditional Yao Life"
Han Yunxi, 14"Technology for Good - AI for Educational Equality"
Yao Qiuhan, 12"Building a Strategic Business Plan for Aqua Sight Myopia Swimming Series"
Nicco Yezhen GAO, 13"AI-assisted Marine Life Conservation of Chinese White Dolphins"
Leonardo da Vinci Special Awards
Special awards, such as the Da Vinci Code Award and Mona Lisa Aesthetic Award, were presented to exceptional entries:
Da Vinci Code Award
Yingxi TANG, 17, Aegis Team: MD AL MAMUN（Bangladesh）, Hebatullah Elnajjar "Tiansuan Constellation"
Mona Lisa Aesthetics Award
Yu Enqing, 9,"Pony Pauli vs. China's Senior Color Scheme"
Junior Da Vinci——Whimsy Awards
In the Junior Da Vinci category, the competition featured entries from younger children (ages 5-12) with diverse, imaginative topics. These included science fiction paintings, inventions, and creative works centered on Mars, space, the moon, the oceans, AI, and more. The bold creativity demonstrated by these young minds was recognized with Whimsy Awards:
Excellence Award Winners:
Hero Team (Kevin Li , LI Shanglin), 5, “Space Home for Humanity”
Yu Enqing, 9, “Pony Pauli vs. China's Advanced Color Scheme”
Wang Hao Yi, 9, “AI Work - Apple with Pearl Earring”
Liang Yutong, 11, “Science and Technology Junior”
Wei Meng, 12, “AI Animal Paradise in Shanhaijing”
Hao Shijing, 9, “Future AI World”
Zhang Jialin, 10, “Dreaming of the Vault of Heaven”
Chang Xinran, 9, “Flower of Hope, Building Dreams for the Future”
Guo Zhaofu, 9, “Family Protection Robot”
Sun Yixing, 7, “Intelligent Pest Control Machine”
Fan Chetao, 7, “The City of the Future”
Kong Chui Hao, 10, “Automated Intelligent Agricultural Machine”
Wang Yunxuan, 5, “Future Amusement Park”
Gao Enke, 8, “Firefighting Robot”
Xu Zhengtao, 11, “Space Agricultural Experiment Base”
Luo Tianze, 12, “Making Eco Enzyme and Cultivating Mung Bean Sprouts to Protect the Earth”
Bo Lin, 11, “Exploring the Ecological Water World”
Lin Xinning, 10, “Information City”
Yuan Zimeng, 12, “Underwater Science Fiction City”
Yang Yunyao, 12, “VR Meta-Universe Era”
Wang Yueheng, 6, “Explore the world”
Yuan Yao, 12, “Sci-Fi Space City”
He Xinyang, 11, “Intelligent Elderly Home”
Huang Shihan, 12, “Emotion Twister”
Zhu Yuanshun, 9, “Smart Blind Cane Simulation Application Invention”
Wang chujun, 6, “Air Conversion Machine”
Xie Yutao, 11, “Sterile Collector”
Li Yuting, 11, “Multi-functional Environmental Protection Vehicle”
Sun Youshi, 5, “Bacteria Remover”
Zheng Yi Qin, 10, “Dreaming of Deep Space, Exploring the Vault of Heaven”
The winners listed above will receive an official notification letter from the organizing committee on October 16th. They are also invited to attend the 2024 "You Are Da Vinci" Global Youth Science, Technology, and Art Innovation Award Ceremony, along with the Innovation Perspectives Education Forum, set to take place on November 2nd, 2024, at the Shenzhen Auditorium for Sustainable Development (OXSTAND Campus) in Shenzhen, China. We look forward to welcoming the elite of the Da Vinci Challenge on the red carpet.
About the "You Are Da Vinci" Global Youth STEAM Innovation Award:
The "2024 You Are Da Vinci" Global Youth STEAM Innovation Award focuses on selecting and showcasing the most innovative projects in science, technology, and art from Chinese youth aged 5-22 around the world. This award is groundbreaking, as it is the first competition to seamlessly integrate STEM with art, as well as with business. The Da Vinci Challenge reflects not only the participants’ academic innovation across disciplines but also emphasizes their social responsibility, business acumen, and artistic potential—qualities that will aid them in gaining admission to prestigious schools in China and globally.
This competition is open to young people between the ages of 5 and 22, across various topics, with the goal of finding entries that exhibit innovative thinking, critical analysis, academic creativity, and a spirit of breakthrough and exploration. It serves as a platform for students with a passion for science, innovation, and the arts to gain recognition, win international accolades, and be strategically guided to top schools both domestically and abroad. The competition seeks to celebrate the vision, originality, and talent of young minds, inspiring more creative youth to boldly express and showcase their ideas. Through the pursuit of science and art, these participants are poised to drive innovation and excellence in human civilization. The Da Vinci Youth Challenge Elite looks forward to working with the world’s most prestigious universities.
We seek not just your Mona Lisa, but your curiosity and desire to explore multiple disciplines, such as natural science and art. Break free from conventional thinking, create something unique, question and search constantly, and pursue innovation with an unwavering commitment to excellence. Don’t let the times define you—be the ones to light the path toward the future of human progress in science. We await you, ready to create a legend together, hand in hand!
Registration for the 2025 competition is now open：work@talentschool.com.cn. For more information, follow the official WeChat account, “You Are Da Vinci,” and join other Chinese youth aged 5-22 in this global initiative.