About
What is SDGDC HL?
SDGDC HL — the High Schooler's League of the SDG Design Challenge — is a free, 4-day competition where school teams build real, working solutions to problems connected to the UN Sustainable Development Goals. It is not a quiz, an essay contest, or a concept pitch. You build something. Then you present it.
The core idea
Most student competitions ask you to describe a problem or propose a plan. SDGDC HL asks you to solve one. Your team picks one of the 17 UN SDGs, identifies a specific, grounded problem within it, and builds a practical solution that actually functions — whether that is a software tool, a hardware prototype, a working process, or something else entirely.
You have 4 days. You can use any tools — AI, code, no-code platforms, hardware, whatever your team works best with. At the end, you present your solution to a panel.
Who runs SDGDC HL?
SDGDC HL is powered by NextGenNav, running through its regional entities. The active edition — for IGCSE and O Level students — is run by NGN India. Upcoming editions for IBDP, A Level, and US-curriculum students will be run by NGN UK and NGN USA respectively.
Once all Round 1 editions are complete, winners from every edition compete together in Round 2, hosted by NGN International.
The format
SDGDC HL is structured around curriculum-based editions. Each edition runs separately, at different times, managed by the relevant NGN entity. This is Round 1.
Once all editions complete, the winners from each come together for Round 2 — the first time teams from different curricula compete against each other, hosted by NGN International. The top teams from Round 2 reach the International Final.
Quick facts
Entry: Free — no registration fee for any edition.
Duration: 4 days per edition round.
Team size: 4 to 6 people.
Tools: Unrestricted — AI, code, hardware, no-code, anything that gets the job done.
Output: A working solution, not just a concept or slide deck.
Why it matters
SDGDC HL gives students the experience of working on a real problem under real constraints — time-limited, team-based, output-focused. The Sustainable Development Goals cover issues that affect real people. Finding a grounded problem within one and building something that actually addresses it is a different kind of work, and a different kind of result.
Teams that make it through evaluation receive official recognition from SDGDC HL and NextGenNav. Edition winners progress to Round 2 — where every curriculum's champion is in the same room.