SPRINGFIELD, NJ — Jonathan Dayton High School senior Zachary Cheng-Klausen has been named the grand prize winner of the 2026 ACIS Travel is Education Scholarship, a national competition celebrating student creativity, global awareness and artistic interpretation.
“Common Ground” was this year’s theme and students were invited to explore the idea through any creative medium ranging from watercolor and digital design to music, photography and film.
Winners were selected by the ACIS evaluation team based on artistic expression, creativity, and the depth of connection to the theme.
Zachary’s winning submission, an original short film, explores shared human experience through the visual metaphor of the environments we inhabit. The film was inspired by reflections formed during his travels, where he began noticing both the striking differences and subtle similarities that connect people across continents.
“In so many places, everything around me felt new, different and far from home; even though we’re all living on the same planet,” Zachary said. “This film came from slowing down and noticing that shared space and how connection can exist even when it isn’t obvious.”
Zachary’s winning film is featured on the ACIS website as part of the 2026 winners’ showcase.
View it at https://acis.com/blog/2026-acis-scholarship-winners/.
Photo Courtesy of Zachary Cheng-Klausen
