The Minister's Innovation Challenge

The Minister's Innovation Challenge

Up to 41 teams of Year 8 students from WA public schools participated in the Minister's Innovation Challenge 2025. Students used design thinking to develop innovative solutions to local issues or problems.

The Minister's Innovation Challenge aims to ensure our young people are better prepared to lead and innovate in our changing world. It forms part of the Career Learning Toolkit, developed to address the need for career learning for secondary school students.

The challenge provided an opportunity for Year 8 students to engage in entrepreneurial education. Students were supported by a teacher from their school and a local industry mentor.

Teams of Year 8 students competed in the 6-week challenge, which took place during Term 4, 2025.

Teams submitted their final pitches online and the 5 top-ranked teams shared a $35,000 cash prize pool. The Minister for Education announced the winning teams during an online exhibition.

Challenge winners for 2025

First place: Coodanup College 
Second place: Champion Bay Senior High School
Third place:  Lakeland Senior High School
Fourth place: Christmas Island District High School
Fifth place: Denmark Senior High School

Participating schools and previous challenge winners

Find the details of the winning and participating schools from previous challenges. 

The following schools, listed by education region, participated in the Minister's Innovation Challenge 2025.

Goldfields

Esperance Senior High School

Kimberley

East Kimberley College

Midwest
  • Champion Bay Senior High School
  • Exmouth District High School
North Metropolitan
  • Bob Hawke College
  • Butler College
  • Christmas Island District High School
  • Clarkson Community High School
  • Ellenbrook Secondary College
  • Governor Stirling Senior High School
  • Joseph Banks Secondary College
  • Morley Senior High School
  • Ocean Reef Senior High School
  • Perth Modern School
  • Wanneroo Secondary College
Pilbara
  • Hedland Senior High School
  • Karratha Senior High School
South Metropolitan
  • Armadale Senior High School
  • Belmont City College
  • Canning Vale College
  • Cecil Andrews College
  • Coodanup College
  • Darling Range Sports College
  • Halls Head College
  • Hammond Park Secondary College
  • Harrisdale Senior High School
  • Kalamunda Senior High School
  • Kelmscott Senior High School
  • Lakeland Senior High School
  • Lesmurdie Senior High School
  • Lynwood Senior High School
  • Rockingham Senior High School
  • Roleystone Community College
  • Warnbro Community High School
  • Willetton Senior High School
  • Yule Brook College
South West
  • Dalyellup College
  • Denmark Senior High School
  • Mount Barker Community College
  • North Albany Senior High School
Wheatbelt

Narrogin Senior High School

The challenge provides an opportunity for a broad range of Year 8 students to engage in entrepreneurial education. A teacher from each participating school coordinated a team of students and helped them engage with the online lessons. A local industry mentor provided advice and valuable insights.

Each team’s final pitch was showcased during an online exhibition. The Minister for Education announced the 5 winning teams, who shared a $35,000 cash prize pool.

The challenge was delivered online by Bloom The Centre for Youth Innovation (Bloom).

Challenge winners for 2024

First place: Halls Head College

Second place: Exmouth District High School

Third place:  Ballajura Community College

Fourth place: Esperance Senior High School 

Fifth place:  Lesmurdie Senior High School

The following schools, listed by education region, participated in the 2024 Minister’s Innovation Challenge.

Goldfields
  • Esperance Senior High School
  • Laverton School
Kimberley
  • East Kimberley College
Midwest
  • Champion Bay Senior High School
  • Exmouth District High School
North Metropolitan
  • Alkimos College
  • Balcatta Senior High School
  • Ballajura Community College
  • Belridge Secondary College
  • Bob Hawke College
  • Butler College
  • Christmas Island District High School
  • Clarkson Community High School
  • Duncraig Senior High School
  • Governor Stirling Senior High School
  • Joseph Banks Secondary College
  • Mount Lawley Senior High School
  • Ocean Reef Senior High School
  • Perth Modern School
Pilbara
  • Hedland Senior High School
South Metropolitan
  • Armadale Senor High School
  • Belmont City College
  • Canning Vale College
  • Cecil Andrews College
  • Darling Range Sports College
  • Halls Head College
  • Harrisdale Senior High School
  • Kalamunda Senior High School
  • Kelmscott Senor High School
  • Lakeland Senior High School
  • Lesmurdie Senior High School
  • Lynwood Senior High School
  • Piara Waters Senior High School
  • Warnbro Community High School
South West
  • Bridgetown High School
  • Bunbury Senior High School
  • Dalyellup College
  • Denmark Senior High School
  • Newton Moore Senior High School
Wheatbelt
  • Katanning Senior High School

The winning schools for 2023 were:

First place: Bob Hawke College

Second place: Denmark Senior High School

Third place: Exmouth District High School.

Learn more about the winning schools.

The following schools, listed by region, participated in the 2023 Minister’s Innovation Challenge.

Kimberley
  • East Kimberley College
Midwest
  • Champion Bay Senior High School
  • Exmouth District High School
North Metropolitan
  • Balcatta Senior High School
  • Bob Hawke College
  • Butler College
  • Clarkson Community High School
  • Dianella Secondary College
  • Ellenbrook Secondary College
  • Hampton Senior High School
  • Joseph Banks Secondary College
  • Ocean Reef Senior High School
  • Wanneroo Secondary College
Pilbara
  • Karratha Senior High School
  • Newman Senior High School
  • Tom Price Senior High School
South Metropolitan
  • Baldivis Secondary College
  • Coastal Lakes College
  • Halls Head College
  • Harrisdale Senior High School
  • Lesmurdie Senior High School
  • Lynwood Senior High School
  • Warnbro Community High School
Southwest
  • Albany Senior High School
  • Bunbury Senior High School
  • Dalyellup College
  • Denmark Senior High School
  • Gnowangerup District High School
  • Manjimup Senior High School
  • Margaret River Senior High School