CNY Innovation Challenge
The CNY Innovation Challenge aims to spark ideas for developing unique products or services while fostering entrepreneurship.
Challenge Overview
The CNY Innovation Challenge aims to spark ideas for developing unique products or services while fostering entrepreneurship. Students have creative solutions that can be marketable products, and this challenge was designed to allow them to lean into those ideas! The process includes a crucial step – documenting intellectual property to protect concepts that could be used in a patent application. Teams will learn strategies to advance their idea and take a product/service to market. In addition to designing and developing an idea, you will need to have a solid go-to-market plan and a marketing pitch to “sell” your concept. See full rules in separate document.
The Challenge is open to students in grades 6-12. There will be winners in two brackets: high school (grades 10-12) and middle school (grades 6-9). Teams need to have a minimum of two students and a maximum of four. There will be cash prizes for winning teams.

2021 Challenge Winners
Middle School
Awesome Ladies – Syracuse Academy of Science – A sports shoe with a changeable bottom for different sports.
High School
Razor Crest – Chittenango – In response to COVID, an innovative product to address multiple issues surrounding the use of masks with expected long-term applications post-pandemic.
Mandalorian Industries – Chittenango – An outdoor multiplayer game that upcycles and repurposes materials that would have otherwise been discarded.
BDLM Technologies – Chittenango – A charging station that will automatically enable the phones “do not disturb” function for the duration of the charge.
2022 Support Sessions
- Tuesday, March 1st– Design Thinking – 4:00 – 5:00 p.m.
- Saturday, March 5th – Office Hours – 10:00 – 3:00 p.m.
- Thursday, March 10th – What Constitutes a Pitch? – 4:00 – 5:00 p.m.
- Saturday, March 19th – Office Hours – 10:00 – 3:00 p.m.
- Thursday, March 24th – Pitch Practicing – 4:00 – 5:00 p.m.