STEM Education Leaders and Partners,
We're excited to share a national opportunity that aligns with your work to advance STEM and computer science education: the Presidential AI Challenge, a White House initiative designed to build AI literacy and inspire innovation among K–12 students and educators.
As part of the nation's 250th anniversary, this challenge invites students to:
- Identify a real-world problem in their community and propose how AI could help solve it, or
- Create an AI-powered app, website, or program using accessible tools.
Educators are also encouraged to participate by:
- Designing new ways to teach AI concepts, or
- Creating or adapting AI tools to transform teaching and learning.
We hope you'll help us spread the word through your networks-whether that's CSTA chapters, state, or regional education departments, ESD content specialists, or STEM networks. This is a powerful opportunity to:
- Promote student agency and creativity
- Support educator innovation
- Build AI fluency across disciplines
Key Dates:
- Submissions are due January 20, 2026
Learn more and register for the AI Challenge
We've attached a flyer with additional details. Please feel free to share it widely with educators, curriculum leaders, and professional learning communities in your region.
For questions, contact the AI Challenge team at AI.Challenge@science.doe.gov.
Thank you for your continued leadership in preparing students for a future shaped by AI.
Warm regards,
Pacific Northwest National Laboratory (PNNL) STEM Education and Workforce Development
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Lauren Bricker
(Dr./Ms.,she/her/hers)
President, Puget Sound CSTA
Associate Teaching Professor and K-12 Outreach, Paul G. Allen School of Computer Science & Engineering
Adjunct, Human Centered Design & Engineering
University of Washington
bricker@cs.washington.edu------------------------------