“Champions aren’t made in gyms. Champions are made from something they have deep inside of them: a desire, a dream, a vision.”
– Muhammad Ali, American professional boxer and activist
Muhammad Ali was right. We may be stretching the meaning a bit, but not every champion is an athlete. Some are made right here in the classroom.
As noted in one of our own articles nearly 10 years ago, students are often encouraged to collaborate, not compete. “People automatically think of competitions in the very limited form of the zero-sum game, where one participant wins what the other one loses. However, with our expanded understanding of competition sciences, we know that this simply is not the case” (ICS, 2017).
Modern research continues to support specific strategies for designing educational competitions. One of the most important takeaways is that competition does not have to be a zero-sum experience. When educational competitions are thoughtfully designed, coaches and participants can transform the experience of “losing” into a meaningful opportunity for learning.
Fast forward to 2026, and we’re introducing new ICS Leaderboards as part of our ongoing mission to make learning engaging, fun and rewarding for all students. Research on gamification in education points to several compelling benefits, including an increased desire to take on challenges, greater social interaction and improved learning performance (Park & Kim, 2021).
Leaderboards are simple in concept. They provide a visual ranking of participants based on a specific metric, whether that’s points earned, challenges completed, or performance achieved. We encounter leaderboards every day, from sports and video games to workplace recognition programs and educational platforms like Quizlet, Khan Academy, Kahoot! and Duolingo. Outside of education, examples include Strava, Peloton, the Billboard Hot 100 and The New York Times Best Sellers list.
So what happens when we bring that same approach to educational competitions?
With the new ICS Leaderboards, students and organizations now have a central place to view rankings by badge, beginning with our five pilot badges: Data Analysis, Experimental Design, Robotics, Technical Writing, and Critical Thinking. Participants can track their progress and see how their accomplishments compare within a larger learning community.
More importantly, the goal isn’t simply to move up a ranking. It’s to provide meaningful recognition for the skills students develop through challenge-based learning and academic competition. The leaderboard becomes another way to celebrate achievement.
Whether you’re a student, teacher, school, or competition organizer, there’s something here for you to explore. And perhaps most importantly, this isn’t just about ICS programs. We’re building a platform designed to support the broader world of educational competitions.
This launch only marks the beginning of a new chapter for ICS, and we’re excited to grow and navigate this new era alongside the community. As the platform evolves, we’ll continue exploring new ways to recognize the skills, achievements, and experiences students gain through competing.
Welcome to the new ICS.
Let the games begin.
In Case You Missed Article 2: Read it Here