Registration is ongoing for the 2026 Teesas Summer School that combines academics, entrepreneurship, technology, and leadership development to prepare children for the future of work.
The programme, designed for children aged 7 to 18, will run in two cohorts from July 20 to August 7 and August 10 to 28, culminating in the Teesas Startup Spark 2.0 business pitch competition.
This year’s edition also receives a significant boost through a new partnership with Indomie, which will sponsor five children to participate in the programme at no cost through the Future CEO Challenge.
The challenge invites children aged 7 to 18 to submit a 60-second video answering one question: “If you could start a business that solves a problem in your community, what would it be?” Parents are expected to upload entries via the designated Future CEO page on the Teesas Education website.
According to Mrs Gladys Osime, Learning Centre Growth Manager at Teesas Education, the competition is designed to encourage creative thinking rather than polished business plans.
“The goal is not to have a perfect business plan. Instead, judges want to hear original ideas and understand how children think about solving real-world challenges. Whether the idea focuses on education, healthcare, environmental sustainability, technology, transportation, or community development, every thoughtful solution has a chance to stand out,” she said.
Entries close on Monday, July 13, while the five winners will be announced on Wednesday, July 15, earning fully sponsored places in the summer school.
Speaking on the partnership, Indomie Brand Manager, Ibrahim Isah, said the collaboration reflects the company’s commitment to nurturing future innovators.
“Beyond nourishing children daily, at Indomie, we believe every great innovation begins with a simple idea and the courage to bring it to life. We are proud to support a platform that encourages young minds to think creatively, solve real-life problems, and develop the confidence to become tomorrow’s leaders and innovators through our partnership with Teesas Education,” he said.
Unlike many conventional summer programmes that focus largely on classroom revision, arts and crafts, and sports, Teesas Startup Spark acts like an innovation hub where children work in teams to solve real-life problems and develop entrepreneurial thinking.
Upon registration, every participant is assigned to one of several project tracks, including entrepreneurship, financial literacy, public speaking, technology (covering artificial intelligence, app development, and website development), graphic design, and content creation.
At the end of the programme, each team will present its solution before a panel of business and education leaders during the Startup Spark 2.0 pitch competition.
Returning as judges are Teesas Founder and CEO, Osayi Izedonmwen, and Iyin Aboyeji, Co-founder of Flutterwave, Andela, and Future Africa. They will be joined by Modupe Adeyinka-Oni, Founder of Standard Bearers School.
Expressing his excitement ahead of this year’s competition, Aboyeji said, “I’m super excited to be part of the panel for the 2026 edition. After seeing what the kids achieved last year, I honestly cannot wait to see what this new set of children will create.”
Osime disclosed that this year’s programme would be the largest yet, following the expansion of Teesas Learning Centres from two to five locations.
“Teesas Summer School will be bigger this year as our centres have grown from two to five. The new locations in Badore-Ajah, Ikota and Egbu Road, Owerri, have been equipped to deliver the same excellence and excitement that our summer school is now known for,” she said.
Participants will also undergo an academic pre-assessment before classes begin, enabling facilitators to identify learning gaps which will be addressed using the company’s Watch-Teach-Assess (WTA) model.
Alongside academic support, the programme incorporates leadership development through the internationally recognised 7 Habits of Happy Kids and 7 Habits of Highly Effective Teens curricula.
Teesas Education said its strict no-phone policy will remain in place throughout the programme to encourage focus, collaboration and active participation.
Parents can enrol their children in three age-based categories: Young Explorers (7-9 years), Young Builders (10-12 years), and Young Founders (13-18 years). The programme will be delivered through both physical and hybrid learning formats across the company’s learning centres.
