Season 10 Nationals

Make48 is a 48-hour competition where teams are presented with a challenge and tasked to build a physical prototype, create a sales sheet, produce a 1-minute marketing video and pitch their big idea to a panel of judges. ​

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In September 2026, the Ignition Lab will host the winning teams from our 2026 regional play-offs host locations, including GoCreate at Wichita State University, SkillsUSA National Leadership & Skills Conference, and the University of Wisconsin-Stout. With access to expert tool technicians and high-tech equipment, competing teams will have the power to build almost anything.

For this challenge, collaboration is the key to success. Many people have big ideas but few possess the resources to develop a prototype that turns them into reality. To build anything, different skills, materials and equipment must work together to create a final product. Make48 allows this process to be achieved with a fun, fast-paced, and educational event. First place team will win $10,000!

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The Ignition Lab is the natural next step for students, ages 14 to 18 who have aged out of Operation Breakthrough’s Maker City program with basic skills in coding, circuitry, culinary arts, construction and design, digital media, robotics, visual art and more. It’s also a powerful springboard for teens who live in economically depressed, often violent neighborhoods.