SolarSPELL has been recognized by organizations around the world for our innovative approach to addressing significant social, educational and global issues.
SolarSPELL named to TIME’s 2025 Best Inventions
We are incredibly honored to be included in TIME‘s list of the Best Inventions of 2025! SolarSPELL was recognized in the Social Impact category for the new offline digital library technology we launched in 2024. This innovative hardware was designed, engineered and created by ASU students, faculty and staff, in order to better meet learners’ needs and reduce our global footprint.
“This is a great example of how ASU explores problems through critical and innovative thinking — and develops solutions that are both locally relevant and have global impact,” said Sally C. Morton, executive vice president of ASU Knowledge Enterprise. “We are incredibly proud of the SolarSPELL team and thrilled they are being recognized for improving lives in such a significant way.”
As we celebrate 10 years of empowering offline learners around the world, we are truly humbled — not just by this recognition, but by how many brilliant and dedicated people have contributed to making this initiative what it is. Thank you for helping us improve access to information and build internet-ready skills for 440,000 learners, and counting!
Awards
SolarSPELL was named to TIME’s list of the Best Inventions of 2025. We were recognized in the Social Impact category for the groundbreaking offline digital library hardware we launched in 2024.
SolarSPELL is shortlisted for the 2025 QS Reimagine Education Awards in the Access, Diversity & Inclusion category! Of 1,600 applicants, we’re in the 20% under award consideration.
SolarSPELL was named Best in Show in the 2025 SXSW Innovation Awards, the top honor out of 400 applicants & 55 finalists. These awards recognize the most exciting creative developments globally.
2021 Feed the Future DLEC
video competition winner
SolarSPELL’s student-produced video showcasing our offline digital agriculture library was selected from hundreds of submissions for the Feed the Future Developing Local Extension Capacity (DLEC) video competition. The project, funded by USAID, played winning videos at its annual community of practice event to highlight innovative solutions to agriculture extension challenges.
Out of 300 applicants, SolarSPELL was a finalist in the MIT-Solve TPrize 2020 Challenge, an award designed to address social and educational issues in Latin America and the Caribbean.
In 2019 SolarSPELL was selected as a finalist in the Tech4Islands Awards, in the top 6 out of 66 entrants. This program was an initiative of FrenchTech Digital Festival Tahiti.
SolarSPELL wins ‘Best in Show’ at SXSW
As the final award of the night approached at the 2025 SXSW Innovation Awards, our team sat in the audience, feeling both honored and humbled just to be among the finalists. Having lost our category earlier that evening, we assumed our moment in the spotlight had passed. So when the announcer called out “SolarSPELL,” we couldn’t believe our ears.
From over 400 applicants, we had been named Best in Show, ahead of world-class organizations and cutting-edge tech startups. This recognition was more than an award—it was a rallying cry. An acknowledgment of the power of libraries, offline internet, and information literacy to empower everyone.
This award is a testament to the incredible work of our partners, student interns, local champions, and supporters, who make it all possible. With this momentum, we are more energized than ever to empower learners across the globe.
Thank you, SXSW, for believing in the power of libraries. Thank you for believing in SolarSPELL
Achievements
We’re also proud to have been selected for the following opportunities and certifications.
2024 UNESCO STEM Conference speaker
SolarSPELL co-founder Laura Hosman was invited to present at the 2024 Continental Conference on Transforming STEM in Africa, organized by UNESCO and the African Union.
Selected for ASU Moonshot Accelerator
SolarSPELL was selected to participate in ASU’s 2nd Moonshot Cohort to enhance our pitch strategy for philanthropic funding opportunities to help us scale.
Official home of Wikipedia for Schools
Since 2015, SolarSPELL has led the curation and provision of Wikipedia for Schools, an offline selection of Wikipedia articles intended for use in schools with limited to no internet access.
2024 Don Norman Design Award finalist
Industrial design intern Brandon Lê was named a finalist for the 2024 Don Norman Design Award for his work on SolarSENSE, our offline, solar-powered soil sensor project.
Powered by Raspberry Pi
In 2023, SolarSPELL became one of 162 products to be granted official ‘Powered by Raspberry Pi’ status.
Selected for ASU AI Innovation Challenge
SolarSPELL has been selected to participate in ASU’s AI Innovation Challenge three semesters running to shape the future of AI-enabled learning, research and work environments using ChatGPT Edu.
