April 2025 Innovate-A-thon Recap: Powering Change with Rechargeable Batteries

Alexander Nava

In April, students from across the country participated in the Rechargeable Battery Innovate-A-thon, a three-week innovation sprint focused on advancing environmental sustainability through smart consumer behavior. The challenge? Find new ways to promote the adoption of rechargeable AA and AAA batteries, a powerful step toward reducing waste.

Each year, billions of single-use alkaline batteries are tossed into landfills, contributing to long-term environmental harm. While cost-effective and energy-efficient rechargeable alternatives exist, most consumers still rely on disposables.

Student participants were tasked with designing creative strategies to increase awareness, shift consumer habits, and build a culture of sustainable battery use.

For their final presentations,  each team submitted a comprehensive 10-slide pitch deck, a one-page folded brochure, and a short educational video. These deliverables reflected not only the teams' creativity but also their deep commitment to public impact and systems-level thinking.

Each team rose to the challenge with creativity, research, and passion Congratulations to all participants!

Aayana Roy

1st Place: Red Team

2nd Place: Green Team

3rd Place: Blue Team

As always, Innovate-A-thon is about more than rankings. Every student who participates gains real-world experience, industry exposure, and practical skills that set them apart. We’re grateful for their dedication and inspired by their fresh take on real environmental challenges.

To date, over 67 students from 15 universities have participated in Innovate-A-thons, with nearly $40,000 in scholarships awarded. The results go beyond the numbers, students walk away with confidence, career-ready skills, and a track record of collaborative innovation.

As we grow, we’re looking to expand our reach and bring even more students into the fold. To do that, we need support from partners who believe in the mission. We invite you to reach out.

For partnership or philanthropy opportunities, contact sherry@ed2s.org.

Students interested in joining a future sprint can contact steven@ed2s.org or find us on Handshake at their university.

Together, we can empower the next generation of innovators and changemakers, one Innovate-A-thon sprint at a time.