01 / Knowing the answer is not the same as knowing what to do
Knowing the answer is not the same as knowing what to do
Schools build knowledge.
Mars Challenge adds another condition:
use it when nobody gives you the path.
Ask.
Investigate.
Separate evidence from assumption.
Choose.
Build.
Fail.
Revise.
Explain.
Take responsibility.
02 / You do not need to know how to build a rocket
You do not need to know how to build a rocket
Mars Challenge is not only for science and technology students.
The official participant guidance explicitly says students do not need to be experts, engineers or technical specialists.
They need to ask good questions.
Real problems also need design, communication, economics, behaviour, health, ethics and culture.
03 / Students stop being given the problem and start facing it
Students stop being given the problem and start facing it
The 2026 journey contains 12 phases.
Research.
Definition.
Ideation.
Development.
Prototyping.
Feedback.
Revision.
Presentation.
The process matters.
04 / At the end, there is work to show
At the end, there is work to show
In the 2026 experience, teams produce three principal deliverables:
Concept Document
Schematic Prototype
Project Presentation
Learning leaves artefacts.
Not just a mark.
05 / For schools: discover before specialising
For schools: discover before specialising
Mars Challenge gives young people a space to discover how they think and work before they necessarily know what profession they want.
In 2026, local school teams may begin with students from the same educational level or profile.
Multidisciplinarity does not have to be artificially imposed at the start.
06 / For vocational education: doing is not enough
For vocational education: doing is not enough
Vocational education has a powerful advantage:
knowing how to make things work.
Mars Challenge adds further questions.
Why?
For whom?
With what resources?
Is it safe?
Is it viable?
What are the consequences?
How should it be communicated?
Technical ability becomes part of a wider decision.
07 / Teachers do not solve it. They help students think better.
Teachers do not solve it. They help students think better.
Mentors guide.
Question.
Give feedback.
Structure the process.
Maintain standards.
But they do not take ownership of the solution.
Teacher development within Mars Challenge covers challenge-based learning, authentic assessment and interdisciplinary work.
08 / The project belongs to the young people
The project belongs to the young people
Ideation.
Design.
Development.
Presentation.
Youth teams own the intellectual work.
That is both a rule and a pedagogical principle.
09 / A local team can be the beginning, not the end
A local team can be the beginning, not the end
Teams may have up to six participants.
Local school teams may start with a common educational profile.
From the national stage, multidisciplinary composition becomes compulsory, with at least three knowledge areas represented.
Later stages can also involve new teams formed across institutions, cities or countries.
10 / When minors take part, safeguarding is part of the design
When minors take part, safeguarding is part of the design
The general 2026 age range is 15–29.
Participants under 18 are subject to applicable national requirements, including permissions and, where required, adult or institutional accompaniment.
International ambition does not override safeguarding.
11 / Mars is the stress test. Earth is the responsibility.
Mars is the stress test. Earth is the responsibility.
Mars removes assumptions.
Finite resources.
Interdependent systems.
Consequences.
Then the learning returns to Earth.
That is Earth-Back Thinking.
12 / AI can help. Judgement remains human.
AI can help. Judgement remains human.
AI may help teams explore and visualise.
But it does not become accountable for a decision.
Students still need to verify.
Contextualise.
Choose.
Explain.
Take responsibility.
13 / What the institution activates
What the institution activates
A shared experience.
Active learning.
Visible projects.
Teacher development.
Connections across subject areas.
Potential national and international pathways.
Institutional identity according to the applicable participation model.
Without claiming outcomes that have not been demonstrated.
14 / Not every institution needs to start in the same way
Not every institution needs to start in the same way
The documented 2026 school models include:
Access Partner School
Premium School
Zer Supporter School
The level of access and support differs by model.
For vocational and technical institutions, the applicable institutional model should be confirmed for the specific context.
Availability, benefits and commercial terms for 2027 must be confirmed in the current proposal.
15 / We are not starting from zero
We are not starting from zero
Across 2023–2025, programme records include:
2,000+ young people
8 countries
240+ documented projects
730+ mentors and teachers
These are documented participation metrics, not proof of causal educational impact.
16 / 2026: Earth
2026: Earth
Soil.
Water.
Food.
Habitats.
Resources.
Resilience.
Territory.
Living systems.
A challenge broad enough to connect different forms of knowledge.
17 / The Grand Jam is not a school trip
The Grand Jam is not a school trip
It is a possible stage in a longer journey.
Not every team reaches it.
Routes, evaluation and participation conditions matter.
18 / Do not ask only what your students know
Do not ask only what your students know
Ask what they do when they do not yet know.
That is where another kind of learning begins.
19 / Frequently asked questions
Frequently asked questions
What ages can participate?
In 2026, the general rule is 15–29, with specific exceptions set out in the Official Rules.
Can minors participate?
Yes, but participation by those under 18 is subject to applicable legal rules, permissions and accompaniment requirements.
Is it only for science or technology students?
No.
Do students need knowledge about space or Mars?
No.
Do students have to know how to build a technical prototype?
No. A prototype can take different forms and should primarily make the proposal understandable.
How many young people form a team?
The general 2026 rule sets a maximum of six participants per team. Some stages have additional conditions.
Must school teams be multidisciplinary from the start?
This is not compulsory at the local stage in 2026. From the national stage onwards, teams must include at least three different areas of knowledge.
Can vocational or technical education centres participate?
The 2026 Rules recognise technical contexts. The specific institutional and commercial arrangement must be confirmed with Mars Challenge.
Is the teacher part of the team?
The teacher acts as a mentor or pedagogical guide, not as the author of the project.
Is Mars Challenge a hackathon?
No. Challenges or intensive formats can be part of the experience, but the programme includes a broader journey of learning, production and evaluation.
Does everyone reach The Grand Jam?
No. Access to later stages depends on the route, institutional model, rules and applicable results.