That’s the goal of the newly launched Presidential AI Challenge, announced recently by the White House. Open to K12 students, educators, mentors, and community teams, the national competition invites participants to use AI to solve real-world challenges in their schools, neighborhoods, and beyond.
The initiative is part of a broader effort to promote AI literacy and access as the country celebrates 250 years of independence, and looks ahead to what’s next. It places a clear emphasis on community relevance, hands-on innovation, and educator-driven teaching strategies.
What Is the Presidential AI Challenge?
The Challenge is designed to encourage students and educators to develop, apply, or teach AI technologies that make a difference. Whether it’s a proposal, a working tech solution, or an instructional approach, the emphasis is on AI with purpose.
There are three distinct tracks:
- Track I: Proposal (Students/Teams)
Develop a well-researched, detailed proposal that applies AI to a local issue. - Track II: Technical (Students/Teams)
Build a working AI-powered tool like a website, app, or algorithmic process. - Track III: Educator-Only Track
Design a lesson or teaching strategy that integrates AI in a meaningful way.
Deadline for submission: January 20, 2026
What Types of Problems Can Teams Solve?
The Challenge encourages projects that address topics of national interest, including:
- School and community safety
- Safe and healthy digital engagement
- Customized learning plans
- Student skills assessment (“skills report cards”)
- Healthier, more affordable meal planning
- And more…
Projects can use any type of AI, from generative AI and natural language processing to computer vision, robotics, or decision trees. Participants will need to submit the project or concept, and documentation of what they learned, how they applied AI, and how their project connects to community needs.
Why This Matters for Educators
Track III focuses entirely on educators, asking teachers to build AI-integrated lessons, teaching strategies, or student-led activities. It’s a chance to showcase innovative approaches to teaching AI, even if you are just beginning your AI journey.
Participants can draw on national resources for support. The White House has highlighted tools like the AI in Education: What Parents & Caregivers Should Know guide, which outlines how families can support responsible and informed AI use, regardless of their level of access to digital tools.
Ready to Participate? Here’s How LocoRobo Can Help
LocoRobo is proud to support schools and educators who want to bring real-world AI learning into the classroom. Our AI curriculum, coding lessons, robotics kits, and teacher PD are already helping districts across the country build student confidence in this emerging field.
Whether your students are new to AI or ready to apply it in creative ways, our AI Tools course equips them with the knowledge and practice to design strong proposals for Track I of the Presidential AI Challenge. Students explore a wide range of AI technologies, from chatbots and image generators to data analysis and adaptive learning tools, through hands-on activities that show how each can be applied to real problems. With structured lessons, guided experimentation, and proposal-writing practice built into the AI curriculum, your class will be ready to compete with confidence.
Get in touch to see how our AI tools and curriculum can support your participation in the Presidential AI Challenge.
