Junior Achievement Americas and HP launch #AIForImpact, a regional challenge for young people to create solutions with artificial intelligence
Junior Achievement Americas, the NGO that prepares young people for employment and entrepreneurship, and HP, a global technology leader operating in more than 180 countries, are launching #AIForImpact, a regional Challenge as part of NAUFest, Junior Achievement’s largest educational experience in the region.
#AIForImpact challenges young people ages 16 to 25 across the region to identify a problem in their community and develop a solution using artificial intelligence. The experience is designed to help participants learn while turning an idea into a concrete initiative, expanding access for young people from different countries and backgrounds to tools that help them better understand and use AI.
With content available in Spanish, English, and Portuguese, #AIForImpact is a free, virtual experience that will give thousands of young people access to quality learning opportunities, skills credentials, exclusive prizes, and personalized mentoring.
“We want young people to become critical and responsible users of artificial intelligence—able to understand it, question it, and use it to create. With #AIForImpact, we invite them to look at the world around them and discover how these tools can help them develop solutions that improve their lives and their communities.”
— Noël Zemborain, President of Junior Achievement Americas
"At HP, we believe that artificial intelligence can open up new possibilities for learning, creating, and transforming ideas into real solutions. Today, by collaborating with Junior Achievement Americas, we are bringing this technology to young people across the region, inspiring them to explore it with curiosity and purpose, and giving them tools to be protagonists of the future they want to build."
— Mateo Figueroa, Managing Director, HP Latin America
#AIForImpact in action
Through a six-part educational journey, participants move from identifying a problem to presenting a solution. They analyze who is affected, explore alternatives, define the role artificial intelligence can play, develop their proposal, and learn how to communicate it effectively.
Additionally, as part of the resources available to develop their proposals, participants will have access to HP LIFE, HP Foundation's free business and digital skills training program, with content and tools they can use to strengthen their ideas and move forward in solving the Challenge.
During the Challenge, participants will have two opportunities to connect with HP employees, designed to support them, answer questions, and help strengthen their proposals as they move through the experience.
Participants who complete the experience will be able to validate their skills through a digital badge on LinkedIn, endorsed by Junior Achievement Americas and HP.
Prizes for the top projects
A regional jury will evaluate the submissions and select the three top #AIForImpact projects.
Prizes for this edition include:
1st Place: A trip and full participation in the 2026 International Entrepreneurs Forum (FIE) in Guatemala, plus HP technology and solutions.
2nd Place: HP technology and solutions, HP LIFE: HP Foundation's free business and digital skills training program, and personalized mentoring.
3rd Place: HP technology and solutions and personalized mentoring.
In 2025, João Pedro Teixeira Cunha, from Brazil, placed third in the #IdeaToBusiness Challenge. “NAUFest marked a turning point in my journey. Through the Challenge and mentoring, I was able to turn an initial idea into my first venture: Todos Online, an artificial intelligence platform that helps teachers adapt activities and assessments for students with disabilities or learning difficulties.”
Registration for #AIForImpact is now open at:
naufest.com/challenge
#AIForImpact is part of NAUFest 2026, Junior Achievement’s largest educational experience. NAUFest combines in-person events and virtual experiences focused on entrepreneurship, the future of work, artificial intelligence, sustainability, and personal purpose.
Through its different experiences, NAUFest connects young people with tools, role models, and opportunities to explore their interests, build skills, and take their next steps in education, employment, or entrepreneurship.
About Junior Achievement (JA)
As one of the world’s most impactful youth-serving NGOs, Junior Achievement prepares young people for employment and entrepreneurship. For more than 100 years, JA has delivered hands-on, experiential learning in financial literacy, work readiness, and entrepreneurship, creating pathways to employability, job creation, and financial health. Each year, our network of more than 760,000 volunteers and educators delivers over 23 million learning experiences to young people in more than 100 countries. JA Worldwide ranks #5 on the DOTGood list of the world’s 500 most impactful NGOs and, in 2026, was honored with a Nobel Peace Prize nomination for the fifth consecutive year.
Across the Americas, Junior Achievement has operated throughout Latin America, the Caribbean, and Canada since 1970, with a presence in 26 countries. Over the past year, Junior Achievement Americas delivered more than 3.2 million learning experiences, in partnership with more than 15,700 schools, with the support of 22,700 volunteers and 1,700 local and regional corporate partners.
More information: www.jaamericas.org
