Environmental project olympiad

GENIUS Olympiad — projects that change the world

An international high-school project competition built around environmental issues, spanning nine disciplines — from science and AI to art, film, music and entrepreneurship. New Zealand students apply through Vertex, present at the regional round in Sydney, and the best projects qualify for the global finals in New York, with university scholarships on the line.

High school 9 disciplines Sydney round: 6–8 Nov 2026 Finals: New York, USA
Register Your Interest See Key Dates
Nine disciplines

Every kind of talent. One environmental mission.

Every discipline connects to a real environmental challenge — pick the one that fits how your child thinks and creates.

Science & technology

Science (the largest discipline), AI, Coding and Robotics — original research and working builds that solve a real environmental problem, presented and defended live.

Arts & voice

Art, Music, Short Film and Speech — original creative work that raises awareness and moves people to act on environmental issues.

Entrepreneurship

A viable business concept solving an environmental problem — full business plan, revenue model and a live pitch to the judging panel.

Top projects at the global finals earn GENIUS medals and eligibility for university scholarships of up to US$20,000.

Key dates

The 2026–27 season

The Sydney regional round is close — projects need to be moving now.

Now
Choose a discipline & start the project

Register your interest and we'll help pick a discipline and shape a competitive project.

Late Oct 2026
Application deadline

Project documentation and the application fee are submitted ahead of the regional round. We'll confirm the exact cutoff with registered families.

6–8 Nov 2026
Regional round — Sydney

Students present their projects to the judging panel. Top projects in each discipline qualify for the global finals.

Jun 2027
Global finals — New York, USA

Qualifiers compete against peers from 66+ countries for medals, special awards and university scholarships.

How Vertex helps

We handle the details. You focus on the learning.

1

Find the angle

We help your child pick a discipline and an environmental problem they genuinely care about — the projects that place are the ones with heart.

2

Mentor the project

Research method, build quality, documentation — regular mentoring keeps the project honest, original and on schedule.

3

Nail the application

We walk you through the paperwork, formats and deadlines so the application does the project justice.

4

Present with confidence

Judges ask hard questions. We rehearse the presentation and defence — for Sydney, and for New York if you qualify.

Questions?

GENIUS Olympiad FAQs

GENIUS is a high-school competition — broadly Years 9–13 in NZ terms. Some disciplines are solo entries, others allow small teams. You don't need to be a Vertex member; if your teenager has a project (or the beginnings of one), talk to us.
Yes — every discipline has an environmental focus at its core, from a science experiment on water quality to a short film about waste. That constraint is the point: it forces original thinking about problems that actually matter.
Strictly. Projects must be the student's own original work — AI chatbots may not write research papers, music must not be covers, and art and film must be the entrant's own. Students must be able to defend their methodology in front of judges, and compliance is checked at the event.
There's a per-project application fee (around US$50 last season) set by the organisers, and travel to Sydney — and New York, if you qualify — is a separate family cost. Register your interest and we'll send the current fees before you commit to anything.
Register Interest

Put your project forward for GENIUS 2026–27

Tell us who's keen — with or without a project idea — and we'll come back with disciplines, fees, mentoring options and deadlines. No commitment yet.

Please enter the student's name.
Please enter a parent or guardian name.
Please enter a valid email address.

You're on the list!

Thanks — we've noted your interest in the GENIUS Olympiad and we'll be in touch with disciplines, fees and next steps.

Registering interest doesn't commit you to anything — it just means we'll keep you in the loop for this season.