Celebrating the Winners of the 2026 SkillsUSA-Make48 Challenge
- Make48+Team
- 4h
- 3 min read
ATLANTA, GA – June 9, 2026 – The energy inside the Georgia World Congress Center was absolutely chaotic last week as Make48 took over a corner of the SkillsUSA National Leadership & Skills Conference (NLSC) competition floor.
If you want to see the future of the American workforce, look no further than SkillsUSA. Representing nearly half a million career and technical education students and teachers, SkillsUSA is the number-one workforce development organization in the country.
Surrounded by 18,000+ attendees and the sharp hum of America’s finest technical talents, five enthusiastic high school teams representing Make48’s Innovation Classroom Experience arrived in Atlanta ready to put their skills to the ultimate test.
The Challenge: "Field Ready"
Five extraordinary teams stepped up to represent their schools and regions on the national stage:
DeKalb High School of Technology-South (DeKalb, GA)
Colquitt County High School (Moultrie, GA)
Career & Technology Center @ Fort Osage High School (Independence, MO)
Kealakehe High School (Kailua-Kona, HI)
Oak Harbor High School (Oak Harbor, WA)
The teams had exactly 48 hours to crack a heavy-duty mystery challenge issued by industry giants Fendt and Fastenal. With the clock ticking, students drafted their ideas, sourced materials, and worked shoulder-to-shoulder with our legendary Tool Techs to build fully functioning physical prototypes.
They didn't just build, either. Teams also had to produce a comprehensive sales sheet and film a 1-minute marketing video before pitching their big ideas live to a panel of expert judges – and to the largest live audience a Make48 team has ever faced!
The Podium: Who is Heading to Nationals?
Our panel faced the incredibly difficult task of scoring these brilliant young minds on creativity, execution, marketability, and teamwork. A massive thank you to; Arthur Santos (Fendt), Evelyn Rivera (Fastenal) and Barry O’Shea (Fendt). Our judges had the challenging task of evaluating each team's creativity, execution, and teamwork to determine who truly had the winning edge.
While every single team showcased jaw-dropping determination and grit, two teams separated themselves from the pack to claim the top spots and secure their ticket to the Season 10 National Competition in November 2026.
1st Place: Smarts and Sparks
Representing: Oak Harbor High School (Washington)
The Prize: A $2,000 cash prize, the coveted first-place trophy, and a golden ticket to Nationals!
2nd Place: Challenge Accepted
Representing: Career & Technology Center @ Fort Osage High School (Missouri)
The Prize: A custom-made trophy and a direct invitation to compete alongside the first-place winners at Nationals this fall!
“Watching these students bridge the gap between technical trade skills and rapid entrepreneurship is exactly why this partnership matters,” said Tom Gray, Co-Founder of Make48. “They didn’t just execute a task; they invented a solution to a real problem under intense pressure and a massive spotlight. Every student on this floor proved they have what it takes to be the creators and leaders of tomorrow.”
If you missed out on the live action from Atlanta, don’t worry! Every triumph, pivot, and pitch was captured by our camera crew.
Catch the immediate action: Watch the Atlanta Sizzle Reel Here!
Watch the full episodes: The entire event will unfold later this year in two dedicated episodes featured on Roku’s This Old House Maker Channel and the Make48 YouTube Channel.
Congratulations to Smarts and Sparks, Challenge Accepted, and all of our extraordinary competitors who accepted the challenge. Atlanta 2026 was one for the history books!
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About SkillsUSA: SkillsUSA is the #1 workforce development organization for students, empowering them to become skilled professionals, career-ready leaders and responsible community members. SkillsUSA represents more than 444,000 career and technical education students and teachers in middle schools, high schools and college/postsecondary institutions nationwide. Those members represent 130 in-demand occupational areas, from 3-D animation to welding. A vital solution to the skills gap, SkillsUSA has served over 15 million members since its founding in 1965. Learn more at skillsusa.org and follow along on Facebook, Instagram, X and LinkedIn.
About Make48: Make48 is a nationwide invention-competition docuseries, distributed and aired in partnership with This Old House Makers Channel (Roku), that gives teams a challenge at the start of a three-day event. With just 48 hours, teams must create a prototype, promotional video, sales sheet, and finally present their idea to a panel of judges. The teams have access to a makerspace and numerous Tool Techs (who can make almost anything), patent attorneys, marketing experts, and more. This format allows everyone to have a level playing field and the chance to win, with no prior technical knowledge necessary. Follow the journey on Facebook Instagram LinkedIn Twitter YouTube
Media Contact: cassandra@make48.com
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