Idaho Student
AI Challenge
Your path to the 2027 Presidential SI Challenge, and everything that changed this year.
Thanks for joining me today!
Meet Katie
Our path today
Two parts in 90 minutes. Part 1 covers the challenges. Part 2 is hands‑on in Playlab.
Click any row to jump there. The Contents button in the corner brings you back.
Know the terms
Same tools, new federal name. Here’s the vocabulary you’ll see in Idaho and national materials.
Artificial Intelligence
Computer systems that do tasks that usually take human thinking, like writing, summarizing or answering questions. The term Idaho and Playlab use.
Super Intelligence
The federal name since a Sept 29, 2026 executive order. In 2027 national materials, read “SI tools” as the AI tools teams already use.
One project, one or two submissions
Idaho comes first, so teams get feedback early. Going on to the national challenge is optional.
- No requirement to also submit nationally
- Submit by Mon, Nov 30
- No video required
- Virtual feedback from local industry partners, Dec 1–7
- Capitol Showcase in January for selected teams
- Free trainings, office hours and a Playlab workspace
- A written proposal. No finished app required.
- A real problem in your school or community
- Any AI platform or tool
- Same team and same project
- Register with consent forms by Fri, Dec 18
- Submit by Wed, Dec 23 with a 4‑minute video
- Citizenship and Team Leader eligibility checks
- State, regional and national rounds, with prizes
How Idaho lines up with the national calendar
Overview of the
Presidential
SI Challenge
The Presidential SI Challenge
Students and educators propose SI‑based solutions to real challenges, and schools build the structure for SI readiness.
Submit a proposal
How an SI method or tool could address a challenge in their community or the nation, plus a short video.
Submit a proposal
How they’ll teach students about SI, or an SI tool that improves classroom or school workflows.
Show readiness
Complete milestones and earn the First Lady Seal of SI Readiness.
students took part in the first year
national champions honored at the White House
Key national dates
Virtual office hours on set dates, Oct 19 – Dec 21, 5pm MT. Students attend with their Team Leader.
Webinar recordings are posted on the challenge site.
| Milestone | Date | Mountain time |
|---|---|---|
| Registration opens | Tue, Oct 13, 2026 | |
| Registration + consent forms due | Fri, Dec 18, 2026 | 3pm |
| Proposal + video due | Wed, Dec 23, 2026 | 3pm |
| State champions announced | Feb 11–15, 2027 | |
| Regional round (virtual) | Mar 4 – Apr 8, 2027 | |
| Regional champions announced | Apr 14–20, 2027 | |
| National finals, Washington DC | June 6–9, 2027 |
Deadlines are 5pm ET, which is 3pm MT and 2pm PT for Panhandle teams.
Who can participate
- Must be a US citizen, US national or lawful permanent resident
- Shows proof of eligibility at the state, regional and national levels
- Students need parental consent. The Team Leader collects every consent form at registration.
- Every eligible submission is scored by at least three judges
Meet the Team Leader.
Parents or general community members
A Team Leader has to fit one of the three roles on the right.
Every team has one Team Leader, age 21 or older.
Full‑time teacher
Public, private or homeschool, using a school email address
Approved club leader
With a formal tie to the school: 4‑H, FFA, scouts, Key Club, Boys & Girls Clubs
NSF grant PI
A principal investigator on a National Science Foundation grant
- Community‑group teams need at least two members from different households
- Homeschool proof: a letter of intent or curriculum receipt dated after July 1, 2026, or a 2026–27 association ID
- Tribally Controlled and Bureau of Indian Education schools are eligible
Choose a track
Standard Track
Use SI to make a positive impact on a challenge facing students, their families or their communities.
Proposal + videoTrailblazer Track
Create a new or unique SI technology for a national challenge. Projects must pass a check for originality and national reach.
Proposal + video or demoEducator Category
Teach students about using or creating SI, or build SI tools that transform school workflows or policies.
Proposal + video or demoUse these as your outline from day one.
Standard Track
- Title Page
- Summary 1 page max
- The Objective
- The Solution
- Safety
- Learning Achievements
- Next Steps
- References & Acknowledgements
Trailblazer Track
- Title Page
- Summary 1 page max
- The Objective
- The Solution
- Safety
- Research Supporting the Novel Approach
- Learning Achievements
- Next Steps
- References & Acknowledgements
Educator Category
- Title Page
- Summary 1 page max
- The Approach
- Safety
- Learning Achievements
- Next Steps
- References & Acknowledgements
What each section asks for
The national round requires a video.
Idaho does not require a video. Teams make it for the national submission.
| National track | Media |
|---|---|
| Standard | Video |
| Trailblazer | Video or demonstration |
| Educator Category | Video or demonstration |
Judges watch only the first 4 minutes.
- Under 300 MB
- Linked from the title page, no password
- Scored by judges: 10 points
- Credits count toward the 4 minutes
- Shoot phone video horizontally
- Test the link on several computers
Where the points are
Educator details: Impact Potential covers scalability and measurable indicators; SI Accuracy covers an evaluation plan and pilot feedback; Safety covers privacy, bias and accessibility.
Full rubrics: 2027 guidebook ↗Teams must keep improving after each round.
Submission
Written proposal plus video showing the idea is feasible and promising.
Show progress
Present live and virtually to judges. Show progress: finish the build, test with users, or write a marketing plan.
Fully developed
Tools fully developed and tested with users. Every team makes a poster. Trailblazer teams add a user guide and marketing plan.
The four things that matter most
Registration deadline
Register with consent forms before you submit. 3pm MT.
Stricter Team Leader rules
Families and general community members can’t lead teams.
Required sections
Including the new Safety section, worth 10 points.
Citizenship for everyone
Citizen, US national or green card, with proof, for every participant.
Idaho
overview
Support that helps Idaho students succeed.
Students propose AI solutions to real problems in their schools and communities. Idaho teams get training, industry feedback and a chance to showcase their work.
No requirement to go national. Teams can stop at Idaho or use it to prepare for the Presidential SI Challenge.
Teams can use any AI platform. Training attendees also get a private Idaho Playlab workspace.
1 · Propose
Teams find a real problem in their school or community and propose an AI solution. No working app required.
2 · Get feedback
Every team that submits by Nov 30 gets written feedback from local industry partners, all virtual.
3 · Showcase
Selected teams present at the Idaho State Capitol during the legislative session, to lawmakers and Idaho employers.
Cash prizes
An announcement for Idaho teams is on the way. Watch your email.
The Pathway
You don’t need to be an AI expert to lead a team.
Training and support
- Two facilitated virtual sessions, recorded
- Drop‑in office hours, October – December
- Written feedback on every student submission
- Coaching for teams presenting at the Capitol
Playlab workspace
- Private Idaho workspace for building and sharing AI apps
- Multi‑model AI with K–12 safeguards
- Teacher moderation and curriculum‑aligned tools
- Access continues for teams that advance
Any platform, any team
- Teams can use any AI tools
- No platform is required to submit
- Teams that skip the trainings are still eligible
- Feedback and Capitol selection are tool‑neutral
Student work in the building where big decisions are made.
Selected teams bring their submitted projects to the Idaho State Capitol during the legislative session. Playlab staff are on site for last‑mile coaching and tech support.
Present your work
A working project or any kind of presentation.
Answer questions
From lawmakers and Idaho employers.
Get coached on site
Playlab staff help with last‑mile prep and tech support.
Cash prizes Coming soon
An announcement for Idaho teams is on the way.
Coaching tips and support
Four templates, copy and go.
Click any card to open your own copy. Nothing to request, nothing to edit from someone else's file. Both tracks now match the national pathways.
Problem Discovery
- List what is annoying around school
- Narrow ten ideas to one
- Check whether AI actually helps
- Write the problem sentence
Proposal Template
- Mirrors every field on the form
- Character counts beside each box
- Prompts for the AI section
- Pre‑submit checklist
Trailblazer Plan
- Novel and nationwide only
- Everything in Track I, plus evidence
- Testing with real people
- Risks and limits
Educator Guide
- Four class periods to a submission
- Team rules at a glance
- What reviewers respond to
- Full submission checklist
One per class period.
Find the problem
Problem Discovery Worksheet. Students list, narrow, and check. Homework: each one talks to a person who has the problem.
Decide the AI part
Report back, then answer why this needs AI. Most teams are Track I. Trailblazer is only for ideas that are novel and would work nationwide.
Draft
Proposal Template or Trailblazer Plan. Both tracks write a proposal. Cutting to 500 characters is where the thinking happens.
Submit together
Tighten, gather uploads, fill in the form as a class. Do not send them home to do this alone.
Four weeks from today is November 30. One period a week fits, and the Educator Guide has the same plan written out with what to watch for in each one.
No video is required for the Idaho submission. Teams that continue to the Presidential SI Challenge will need a single video, 4 minutes maximum, with the national submission.
The template is the form.
Every box in the template matches a field on the submission form, in the same order, with the character limit beside it. Teams draft in the doc and paste across.
Why it helps: 500 characters is about 80 words. Students write long first, then cut. The cutting is where they work out what they actually mean.
Track II teams use the Trailblazer Plan, which covers these same four fields plus the extra evidence a novel, nationwide idea needs.
Open your copy ↗Brief project summary
Write it last. Who, what problem, what the tool does.
Problem, question, or need
The one that decides the submission. Most time here.
Student work vs AI work
Be specific. Honesty reads as strength.
Comments for reviewers
Constraints, what failed, what is next.
So, what’s next?
Registration is a two‑part process: Idaho first, then national. Start early.
Questions?
Part 2: Building with Playlab
Explore community apps, learn how to build one and set up your team’s space. Stay if you can. If you need to head out, you have what you need to get your team started.
Five
minute
break.
Grab water. Stand up. We start again right on time.
Staying for part two?
Two small asks, and they make the next hour much better.
Turn your camera on
It is a workshop, not a webinar. I would rather see you than a grid of initials.
Build along with me
Open a second window and actually make the thing. You will leave with an app instead of notes about one.
Playlab’s
purpose
Breakthroughs in education won’t come from us. They’ll come from the 50 million educators and 14 million high school students who, given the right tools and conditions, are best placed to figure out what AI can do for them and their communities.
Where educators shape AI
A nonprofit dedicated to creating a future where educators and students around the world have the agency to not just use AI, but to shape it.
Most AI tools hand you a template.
Playlab hands you a toolbox.
Build the tool. Any model, your context.
Analyze usage. See every conversation, with safety flags.
Connect your curriculum. Grounded in your content and standards.
AI agency is a core competency of the future.
Responsible AI is built on a foundation of trust and safety.
Independently verified
- SOC 2 Type II audit complete
- FERPA‑aligned data handling
- Age‑gated 13+, consistent with COPPA
- Annual third‑party penetration test
Built‑in moderation
- Moderates student input and flags what needs attention
- Full visibility into conversation transcripts for teachers and admins
- Real‑time self‑harm alerts
Protects data
- No Playlab data is used to train third‑party AI models
- US‑based, encrypted at rest and in transit
- School sign‑in through Clever or Google
AI’s limitations,
risks and potential
for upside
AI has great potential and real risks.
Why we need educators
Even in an AI‑native future
- ✕ Build student relationships
- ✕ Connect with students’ families
- ✕ Inspire intrinsic motivation
- ✕ Adapt to unexpected moments
- ✕ Give nuanced feedback on its own
- ✓ Foster social‑emotional growth
- ✓ Create positive learning spaces
- ✓ Mentor and guide each student
- ✓ Build critical, creative minds
- ✓ Adapt lessons in real time
- ✓ Teach from content expertise
AI development timeline
People write every condition by hand
Give it examples, it finds the patterns
Layered networks make speech and vision usable
Output becomes new text, not a label
Tools, memory and a goal, taking several steps on their own
2026: AI is now doing the research.
Click a card to learn more.
Before 2026: AlphaFold wins a Nobel Prize (2024) · Math Olympiad gold (2025) · AI‑designed antibiotics (2025)
80‑year‑old problem solved
What happenedAn OpenAI model disproved Paul Erdős’s 1946 “unit distance” conjecture in geometry, given only the problem statement. Outside mathematicians reviewed the proof.
Why it matters for schoolsAI can now produce new, checkable knowledge, not just summaries. What do students need to learn when the machine can do original math?
Read the article · OpenAI ↗Hundreds of new math results
What happenedIn October, OpenAI released 722 AI‑written manuscripts touching 100+ open problems. Many have computer‑checkable proofs, and OpenAI warns some may contain errors.
Why it matters for schoolsVolume is outpacing human review. The same “who checks the work?” question shows up with AI‑generated lessons and feedback.
Read the article · YourStory ↗A $1M prize claim
What happenedOpenAI published a claimed proof on the Navier–Stokes Millennium Prize problem, produced by thousands of coordinating agents. The Clay Institute is reviewing it, and credit is publicly disputed.
Why it matters for schoolsA big AI claim isn’t the same as a verified result. A current example for teaching students to separate hype from evidence.
Read the article · The Next Web ↗AI‑designed viruses
What happenedThe Evo model designed whole bacteriophage genomes. Of 302 designs built in the lab, 16 worked and killed E. coli, some better than the natural virus.
Why it matters for schoolsPowerful for medicine and a real biosafety question. Who decides what AI is allowed to design?
Read the article · MIT Technology Review ↗2026: AI agents are working together.
Click a card to learn more.
For schools: agents will soon act for students and staff. Who checks their work?
A social network for bots
What happenedMillions of AI agents post and reply to each other while humans watch. Meta bought it in March 2026. Earlier, a security flaw exposed private messages and over a million credentials.
Why it matters for schoolsAgents are acting on their own in public spaces, and security often lags behind. Students will meet these systems before the rules exist.
Read the article · AP via WTOP ↗A shared language for agents
What happenedA2A is an open standard that lets agents from different companies hand tasks to each other. The Linux Foundation reports 150+ supporting organizations, including Google, Microsoft and AWS.
Why it matters for schoolsSoon one request may pass through several companies’ agents. Where does student data go, and who is responsible when something breaks?
Read the article · Linux Foundation ↗Agents writing the code
What happenedIn JetBrains’ 2026 survey of 15,000+ developers, about 1 in 3 Claude Code users said agents write 80%+ of their code.
Why it matters for schoolsThe job of “writing” is shifting to directing and checking AI. What does that mean for how we teach writing, coding and problem‑solving?
Read the article · JetBrains Research ↗When agents go off‑script
What happenedDuring a security test, Google’s Gemini broke into three real companies’ systems after a setup mistake gave it internet access. Other labs’ models reportedly did similar things.
Why it matters for schoolsEven the builders can’t fully predict agent behavior. Any agent acting for students or staff needs limits and human oversight.
Read the article · CNBC ↗Explore community
innovation with
Playlab
Join Playlab and the Idaho space.
Open the invite link, or go to playlab.ai/join
Enter the invite code
Create your account, or Log in at the bottom of the form if you already have one
Type it at playlab.ai/join if the link doesn’t open
Join here ↗playlab.ai/invitations/LLLCELVQ
Try CivicLens, built in the Playlab community.
Use it as the person it was built for would.
What do you notice about how it works?
Who do you think built it, and what do they care about?
Open any article, then copy and paste its text into the app.
Click Launch
Meet the builders!
Team Business Buds, three high school students in Fairfax County, VA, built CivicLens in Playlab.
“Right now in the US, an app like CivicLens feels like just what we need to help turn down the heat a bit and think more critically about the news we consume.”
Dr. Joseph South · Chief Innovation Officer, ISTE+ASCD
Find it, then try it
Open CivicLens and click Edit. How many can you find?
Click Edit
Anatomy of an AI application.
What did you find under the hood? What goes in the middle?
Anatomy of an AI application.
Build: give
direction to AI
Two prompts, one conversation.
System prompt
The standing instructions behind the app: role, rules and tone. Determines how the AI behaves.
Set before anyone arrives, invisible to the user.
User input
What the user types in the moment: the question, the request, the data, the follow‑up.
New with each message.
The system prompt is your recipe. Write a detailed one!
Define the knowledge and expertise the AI application should have
Define the role of the AI application
Define the user and their context
Define success and the parameters of a strong output
Define the steps the app should follow, one by one
Build to solve a problem, for a specific user.
The strongest challenge projects start with a real person and a real problem in an Idaho school or community.
High school students in a rural Idaho town applying for their first job
Few nearby adults to practice interviews with, and no way to get feedback before the real thing
- Who exactly is the user?
- What’s hard for them right now?
- Why is AI a good fit for this problem?
The system prompt is your recipe.
This app has expertise in
This app’s role is to
The primary user of this app is
Success looks like
Workflow1. First,
2. After they respond, then
3. Next,
References add custom expertise
- Your curricula and standards
- Your rubrics
- Research on your problem
- Interviews with your users
- Your community’s context
Build your first Playlab app.
Decompose a problem into a system prompt for an AI app.
Embrace play and progress over perfection. Build, test, iterate and experiment.
Need ideas? Ask the Idea Bot.
Introducing the CoBuilder
The Playlab CoBuilder helps you build and improve your apps: troubleshooting, generating content or getting unstuck.
Sharing your app
You choose how you want to share it.
Space
With your teammates
Playlab Community
For educators everywhere
Public link
That anyone can use
AI is design material.
Set up
your space
Create a space for your team
A space is the home for a class, team or group. It holds members, apps, activity and permissions.
In the sidebar under Projects, click Spaces
Click New space in the top right
Name it so students recognize it
Set the four member permissions
Click Create new Space, then Add apps
Don’t see New space? Ask your org admin.
Get your student invite link
Build your space and add the apps students will use
Turn on Build Apps, and leave Manage own apps off
Email rebekha@playlab.ai with your space name, or flag me during today’s session
I’ll check the setup and send your student invite link
Share the link with your students
A quick safety check
Student invite links need top‑level org permissions. A quick review makes sure every space is set up safely before students join.
We can do this live today.
What students do to join
With a link or code, students should fill in the invite form. Starting with Continue with Google fails until their account exists.
So, what’s next?
Get your space ready this week so your team can start building.
Questions? Let’s build.
What changed
from last year
“Artificial Intelligence” is now “Super Intelligence.”
A September 29, 2026 executive order, “Inaugurating the Era of Super Intelligence,” made the change across the executive branch. It’s now the Presidential SI Challenge.
| Website | si.gov |
| White House | whitehouse.gov/edsi |
| SI.Challenge@doe.gov |
About a month earlier and much tighter.
Office hours on set dates Oct 19 – Dec 21, 7pm ET, for registered teams. Students attend with their Team Leader.
First Team Leader info session was Oct 14, 2pm ET
| Milestone | 2025–26 | 2027 |
|---|---|---|
| Registration opens | Aug 26, 2025 | Oct 13, 2026 |
| Registration deadline | None separate | Dec 18, 2026, 5pm ET |
| Submission deadline | Jan 20, 2026, 11:59pm local | Dec 23, 2026, 5pm ET |
| State champions announced | Mar 16 – Apr 1 | Feb 11–15, 2027 |
| Regionals | Mar 27 – Apr 13 | Mar 4 – Apr 8, 2027 |
| Nationals (DC) | June 7–10, 2026 | June 6–9, 2027 |
5pm ET is 3pm MT and 2pm PT for Panhandle teams.
Everyone competes. Everyone shows proof.
Every student, educator and Team Leader must be a US citizen, US national or green‑card holder, and must show proof at each level.
Last year
- Teams could submit just for a participation certificate
- Competition was a separate opt‑in
- Only the competition required citizenship, national status or a green card
This year
- Every eligible submission is scored by at least three judges for the state round
- Citizenship, national status or a green card is required for everyone
- Proof is checked at state, regional and national levels
The tracks were restructured.
Track III(b) AI toolseducators
From one essay to a structured proposal.
Last year
- One PDF: up to 50 MB, 10 pages max, 12‑pt font+
- Team narrative of at least 500 words, citing all tools and sources
- No required headings, just questions to “consider”
- Signed Certification of Originality
This year
- One PDF: up to 30 MB, 10 pages plus a title page, 12‑pt font+
- No word minimum
- Required sections for every submission
- Everything original and created after Aug 1, 2026
It’s a proposal now.
Teams don’t need a fully working build to submit. The video shows how feasible and promising the idea is. The finished tool isn’t due until nationals.
Framed as a proposal
Last year Track II teams wrote about something they had already built. Now every student team writes a proposal.
Originality is a timing rule
No separate Certification of Originality. Everything must be original and created after Aug 1, 2026.
Educator questions combined
III(a) and III(b) are one list, “not all may apply.” Educators are also asked about scalability and whether the idea could become a best practice.
Every track needs a video.
| 2025–26 | 2027 | |
|---|---|---|
| Standard (was Track I) | Poster link (digital or photo) | Video |
| Trailblazer (was Track II) | Video or demo, 4 min max | Video or demonstration |
| Educators | Video or demo, 4 min max | Video or demo |
Judges stop watching at 4 minutes.
- Under 300 MB
- Linked from the title page
- Scored by judges: 10 pts
- No password on the link
- Test the link on several different computers
- Credits count toward the 4 minutes
All rubrics are out of 100.
Relevance to the President and his Administration (10 pts, first tiebreaker)
Safety 10 pts in every rubric
Video 10 pts in every track
Projects should address “challenges of concern to President Trump, the First Lady, his Administration, and communities across the Nation.”
About the Challenge, 2027 guidebook
| Standard | Originality, then SI Solution |
| Trailblazer | Research Supporting Novelty, then SI Solution |
| Educator | Innovation, then Objective |
Smaller, and spread across more levels.
| Level | 2025–26 | 2027 |
|---|---|---|
| Participation | Presidential Certificate | Electronic certificate by Aug 31, 2027 |
| State | Certificate + cloud credits and other partner perks | $200 gift card per person |
| Regional | Certificate + perks + possible DC invitation | Invitation to DC finals + $1,000 gift cards ($1,500 Trailblazer) |
| National | $10,000 per member (elementary: $10,000 to the school) | Elementary $2,500 · Middle $7,500 Standard / $10,000 Trailblazer · High $10,000 / $12,500 · Educators $10,000 |
Past winners and regions
2026 regional champions
- Middle and high schoolers can’t compete in the same category again
- Elementary students can join only school‑based teams
- Educators can lead student teams but can’t join an educator team
- All are invited to a new Ambassadors Program
Map changes
- DOWEA and Tribal schools each get their own state‑level champion
- Two‑champion states drop from 7 to 4: CA, FL, NY, TX
- AR, MO, MN and MD moved regions
- Tribal Schools join West; DOWEA joins Southeast