Key points
- Georgie from Waterloo, Ontario, became Canada's first-ever IDEASforEARS winner last year.
- The 2027 contest is open to children aged 6 to 12 across Canada, from November 9, 2026 to January 17, 2027 (midnight CET).
- Ideas can be drawings, models, videos, stories or prototypes that help people with hearing loss.
- Winners travel to MED-EL headquarters in Innsbruck, Austria, and a Canadian winner will be selected again this year.
Some of the best ideas for people with hearing loss come from kids. Last year, Georgie from Waterloo, Ontario, proved it. He became Canada’s first-ever winner of IDEASforEARS, the international children’s invention contest run by MED-EL.
On stage, Georgie presented his idea, an AI classroom assistant. His drawing for it carried a simple message: “All hear together.”
The contest turns ten
MED-EL launched IDEASforEARS in 2017 to give children a voice in shaping the future of hearing. Since then, it has received more than 2,000 entries from children in over 45 countries.
The 2027 edition opens today, November 9, on World Inventors Day. Children aged 6 to 12 are invited to imagine ways to make communication, accessibility and everyday life easier for people with hearing loss. A Canadian winner will be selected again this year.
“When we started IDEASforEARS, we hoped to inspire children to think creatively about hearing loss. Ten years later, we are celebrating far more than a contest,” says Jennifer Robinson, Corporate Director of Product Management Hearing Solutions at MED-EL.
Any idea, any format
Kids can share their invention however they like: a drawing, a model, a video, a story or a working prototype. What matters is the thinking behind it and who it could help.
The contest is inspired by Geoffrey Ball, its Head Judge. He lost his hearing as a toddler and went on to invent the VIBRANT SOUNDBRIDGE middle ear implant. “Their ideas remind us that innovation can come from anyone, regardless of age,” he says.
What winners get
Winners travel to Innsbruck, Austria, to see hearing innovation up close at MED-EL headquarters. They also join an international event that brings together children and families who share similar hearing journeys. For the tenth anniversary, MED-EL is also planning a Golden Ticket Challenge for past winners and a celebration event during 2027.
How to enter
- Who: children aged 6 to 12
- When: November 9, 2026 to January 17, 2027 (midnight CET)
- How: send a drawing, model, video, story or prototype through the official website
If you know a curious kid, a classroom or a speech therapy group, share this with them. Georgie showed that a big idea can start at a kitchen table in Waterloo.
Contest guidelines and entry form: IDEASforEARS by MED-EL
Questions and answers
Who can enter IDEASforEARS 2027?
Children aged 6 to 12, in Canada and around the world. Parents, teachers, speech therapists and mentors are encouraged to help them take part.
When is the deadline?
Entries open on November 9, 2026, World Inventors Day, and close on January 17, 2027 at midnight Central European Time. Full guidelines are on the IDEASforEARS website.
What do the winners get?
Winners earn a trip to Innsbruck, Austria, to visit MED-EL headquarters and take part in an international event with children and families from around the world. A Canadian winner will be selected again this year.
Sources
- MED-EL Canada press release: Ten Years of Big Ideas, IDEASforEARS 2027 (November 9, 2026)
- IDEASforEARS by MED-EL
