The 2025 Game Changer Challenge started with a five-word Wicked Problem: “Ensure Sustainable Futures for All”.

It was deceptively simple and proved irresistible to a record number of participants with nearly 3,000 NSW public students taking on the design thinking challenge.

Now the 20 grand finalists have been announced, and NSW Department of Education Secretary Murat Dizdar is excited by the breadth of ideas put forward.

“It’s fascinating to see the wide range of problems being tackled by the teams, from the environmental impacts of cloud-based data to the need to manage construction waste more effectively,” Mr Dizdar said.

“But as Secretary for Education, I have to give a shoutout to Ready Set Grow! from Dubbo’s Orana Heights Public School who want to ensure a level playing field among our youngest learners when they start Kindergarten.”

The Game Changer Challenge team, facilitators and industry partner judges were also very impressed with the empathy, collaboration, creativity and critical thinking on display from every student. 

With nearly 450 video submissions, judges had a very tough task as every team showed great depth in research, creative thinking, and dedication and motivation to drive positive change in our communities.   

Defending primary school winner, Pacific Palms Public School, is again among the grand finalists in 2025, confirming the Mid North Coast school’s success last year was no fluke.

Wagga Wagga’s Kooringal High School kept its successful formula and will attend Parramatta with the same team that won the 2024 Prototype Award, albeit with a different name: Ape-X Innovators.

But there is no lack of first-time grand finalists with a trophy in their sights.

Gunnedah South Public School plans to make a big impact by removing the small pieces of plastic from juice and milk poppers, while cleaner waterways are the focus for Lismore-based The Rivers Secondary College, Richmond River High Campus.

The Game Changer Challenge exposes NSW public school students to design thinking as applied to real world problems and engages with industry partners such as 2025 Game Changer Challenge Principal Design Partner Canva and others to provide timely, relevant and ongoing feedback to their ideas.

2024’s Teamwork Award winner, BHS Game Changers, is continuing its work to raise awareness about PFAS across Australia, and mandate PFAS levels on packaging, engaging with app developers, their local MPs and NSW parliament.

The 2025 grand final will be held in Parramatta from 11 to 13 November.   

The Grand Finalists are:

Primary Schools

Bonnet Bay Public School – BBPS Data Deleters

Caddies Creek Public School – Plastic Free Force

Chertsey Primary School – Sustainabili-Team

Coolongolook Public School – The Sprout Scouts

Gunnedah South Public School – Mission Earth United

Illawong Public School – The Five Changers

Mount Terry Public School – FIERCE Future

Newbridge Heights Public School – The Iron Crow

Oakhill Drive Public School – Sustainable Sloths

Orana Heights Public School – Ready Set Grow!

Pacific Palms Public School – Enviro Engineers

South Grafton Public School – Plastic Tacklers

Secondary Schools

Cherrybrook Technology High School – Truth Seekers

Killara High School – No More Fishy Business

Kooringal High School – Ape-X Innovators

Moorebank High School – Soil Mates

Parramatta High School – pHixers

Ryde Secondary College – Anti Plastics

The Rivers Secondary College, Richmond River High Campus – Hodge Dog

Warners Bay High School – Sustainability Squad

The Game Changer Challenge 2025 is supported by our partners: Canva, Winc. Education, HP, Makedo, Novotel Parramatta, ABC Education, Arludo, Arup, Brand Rebellion, Britannica Education, CD-Soft, Education Perfect, Engineering Ingenuity, EY, Food Ladder, Google for Education, JSL Advisory, KPMG, Macquarie Group, Powerhouse, Substance Studio, Terracycle, The Ed Institute, Think Different Anyday, TOMRA Cleanaway, UNICEF Australia, UNSW, Young Change Agents, Young Wisdom.