Dawson High School Students Among Top Winners at the National YMCA Summit

YMCA of the USA has officially announced the celebrated winners of the 2026 YMCA Changemakers Summit. Standing out at the top of this prestigious national event, Pete Hughes and Swapneil Bose of Dawson High School were named among the top four national winners, earning top honors and significant funding to turn their community-focused vision into reality.

Now in its fifth year, the YMCA Changemakers Summit serves as a premier platform for rising 10th through 12th graders nationwide. The initiative challenges young leaders to design, pitch, and execute innovative, actionable projects tailored to tackle critical social issues and pressing needs within their local neighborhoods.

The 2026 summit was held in Charlotte, North Carolina drawing an exceptionally competitive field of 80 youth-led teams from across the country. Over three intensive days of collaboration, presentations, and peer evaluations, participants presented their grassroots solutions. Ultimately, the attending youth delegates voted to select the most impactful proposals, awarding four winning teams $5,000 each and four finalist teams $1,500 each in project seed capital.

With their standout performance, Hughes and Bose secured one of the four coveted $5,000 top prizes. This seed funding will directly support the implementation of their project, empowering the Dawson High School duo to bring meaningful, lasting change to their local community.