United States · Grades K to 12 · Team projects with an adult leader

Presidential AI Challenge guide

The Presidential AI Challenge asks K-12 teams to use artificial intelligence on a real problem in their community, then write it up and show it on video. Since September 29, 2026 the organisers call it the Presidential SI Challenge, after a federal order replaced the term AI with Super Intelligence. This guide reads the official 2027 cycle pages closely: who may enter, why every team needs an adult Team Leader, what goes in the 10-page PDF and the 4-minute video, how the 100 points are split, and a nine-week plan our teachers built around those rules.

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In short

The Presidential AI Challenge, renamed the Presidential SI Challenge on September 29, 2026, is a federal K-12 competition where student teams use AI to tackle a community problem. Each team needs an adult Team Leader, submits one PDF of up to 10 pages plus a title page and a video of up to 4 minutes, and is scored out of 100. For the 2027 cycle, registration closes December 18, 2026 and projects are due December 23, 2026, both at 5:00 p.m. Eastern. Modern Age Coders teaches this live online for US students, in a batch or one to one, and the first class is free.

Learn the AI behind the project

Three courses for a Presidential AI Challenge team member

The Challenge rewards students who understand the method they use, not students who only name a tool. These courses teach that understanding.

AI or SI

Why the Presidential AI Challenge is now the Presidential SI Challenge

Families still search for the old name, and the official pages now use the new one. Both refer to the same competition.

How the Challenge got its name and its new name, from the White House and ORISE pages (read 17 October 2026)
WhenWhat the official record says
April 2025Executive Order 14277 directed a task force to plan a Presidential Artificial Intelligence Challenge with "multiple age categories, distinct geographic regions for competition, and a variety of topical themes".
2025 to 2026The first cycle ran, with state, regional and national champions listed on the official winners page.
September 29, 2026A new order, "Inaugurating the Era of Super Intelligence", told federal agencies to use "Super Intelligence" and "SI" in place of "Artificial Intelligence" and "AI".
From that dateThe challenge site states that "the Challenge will be referred to as the Presidential SI Challenge".
October 2026The ai.gov address now forwards to si.gov, which links the official challenge site run by ORISE.

What changed for students

Only the vocabulary. The rules for the 2027 cycle still ask students to study, build or use artificial intelligence to solve a problem; they simply call it SI. A project about machine learning, computer vision or a chatbot fits exactly as it did before.

In a written entry, use the official name of the Challenge, but describe your own method in plain technical words. A judge wants to know whether you trained a classifier or prompted a language model, whatever the umbrella term.

Where the real pages are

The official home is orise.orau.gov/si-challenge, with eligibility, dates, scoring guides, an FAQ and a downloadable Guidebook for Participation. Questions go to the Challenge email address listed there.

Several unofficial sites and posts still describe the 2025 rules. When a detail matters, such as a deadline or a page limit, check it against the official page for the current cycle.

Sources: Presidential SI Challenge home, order of September 29, 2026 and order of April 2025, read 17 October 2026. Modern Age Coders has no link to the Challenge, the White House or ORISE; we teach the skills.

Who can enter

Team sizes, grade bands and the Team Leader rule

Entry is by team, and every team is registered by one adult. This is the rule that most changes how a family plans.

Presidential SI Challenge categories for the 2027 cycle, from the official Eligibility page
CategoryWhoTeam size
Elementary StudentGrades K-5, with parental consent1-5 students and one Team Leader
Middle School StudentGrades 6-8, with parental consent1-4 students and one Team Leader
High School StudentGrades 9-12, with parental consent1-4 students and one Team Leader
EducatorFull-time K-12 classroom or homeschool teachers aged 21 or over1-3 educators

Who may be a Team Leader

The Eligibility page sets "Age Requirement: 21 years or older" and a professional requirement: a full-time public, private or homeschool teacher, a leader of an approved community group such as a 4-H club, scout group or Boys and Girls Club, or a principal investigator on an eligible National Science Foundation grant.

A homeschool parent can qualify as a teacher with one of three proofs for the 2026-2027 school year, such as a letter of intent to homeschool dated after July 1, 2026.

Rules that surprise families

The FAQ says a team cannot consist of just siblings and their parent, and that "Teams with only one student must have a teacher, from the same school as the student, as the Team Leader."

Grades cannot mix: a 6th grader and a 9th grader cannot share a team. Each student joins one team only, and community club members must live in the same or a neighboring county.

Every student, educator and Team Leader must be a U.S. citizen, a U.S. national (American Samoa) or a lawful permanent resident, and the FAQ adds that students must attend school in the 50 states, the District of Columbia, a U.S. territory, a Department of War Education Activity school, a Tribally Controlled School or a Bureau of Indian Education school. Proof of eligibility is checked at the state, regional and national levels.

Where a tutor fits, and where not. The FAQ states: "Only one adult may be the Team Leader for all teams. No other adults will be recognized by the Challenge." It also says a team may work with local mentors with permission from the students’ parents or legal guardians. Our teachers do neither job. We teach a student the AI and Python behind their idea in ordinary lessons, and the student brings that skill to the team their own teacher or club leader runs.

The calendar

Presidential AI Challenge 2027 cycle: every published date

These dates are for the 2027 Challenge, which runs through the 2026 to 2027 school year. A later cycle will publish its own calendar on the official site.

The 2027 cycle calendar, from the official Important Dates and Competition Tiers pages (read 17 October 2026)
Date (2027 cycle)What happens
Tuesday, October 13, 2026Online registration opens
Mondays from October 19 to December 21, 2026, plus Wednesday, December 16Virtual office hours, 7:00 to 8:00 p.m. Eastern; under-18s attend only with their Team Leader
Friday, December 18, 2026, 5:00 p.m. EasternRegistration deadline (2:00 p.m. Pacific)
Wednesday, December 23, 2026, 5:00 p.m. EasternProject submission deadline
February 11 to 15, 2027State Champions announced, no later than February 15
March 4 to April 8, 2027State Champions present updated projects to a virtual panel
April 14 to 20, 2027Regional Champions announced, no later than April 20
June 6 to 9, 2027National Championships in Washington, DC

The two deadlines are five days apart

Registration closes on December 18 and submission closes on December 23. The FAQ is blunt that a team registered late can be entered in the system but will not be allowed to submit a project, so the Team Leader must register first.

Our count: from registration opening on October 13 to the submission deadline on December 23, 2026 is 71 days, about ten weeks, so a team that starts in late November has under four weeks left.

Converting 5:00 p.m. Eastern

The deadline is 4:00 p.m. Central, 3:00 p.m. Mountain, 2:00 p.m. Pacific, 1:00 p.m. Alaska and 12:00 noon in Hawaii on December 23, 2026, our conversion for standard time in winter.

Teams in Arizona, which does not observe daylight saving time, are on 3:00 p.m. in December, the same as Mountain time.

Two tracks

Standard Track or Trailblazer Track?

Student teams choose a track when the Team Leader submits the project, not at registration, so a team can decide once the idea is clear.

The two student tracks in the 2027 rules
Standard TrackTrailblazer Track
WhoElementary, middle and high school teamsMiddle and high school teams only
ProblemA challenge affecting students, their families or their communitiesA challenge or opportunity affecting the country
Bar to enterA positive impact or an innovative solution"must have nationwide impact AND be novel (new or unique)"
Extra sectionNoneResearch supporting the novel approach
Eligibility checkNoneOriginality and national reach are checked before scoring

How we help a student choose

Ask one question: can the team show evidence that nobody has solved this the same way? If a quick search turns up three similar apps, the Standard Track is the honest home, and a well-researched local project there is a strong entry.

The Trailblazer Track suits a team that has already built something and found a real gap. It rewards research on existing tools more heavily, so the team must have done that research.

Kinds of AI the rules name

The official page encourages any age-appropriate technology, listing generative SI, large language models, agentic and multi-agent systems, machine learning, deep learning, natural language processing, robotics, computer vision, expert systems, decision trees and neural networks.

For a first project, a simple trained classifier or a carefully tested chatbot is plenty. Depth of understanding scores; the length of the tool list does not.

What to submit

The PDF and the 4-minute video

Each student team submits two things through the registration portal: a written proposal and a video. The format rules are strict and easy to check.

Submission format for student teams, from the official Requirements and Deliverables page
ItemRule (2027 cycle)
FormatA single PDF, no larger than 30 MB
Length"no more than 10 pages PLUS a title page (11 pages total)"
Type size12-point or larger
Title pageProject title, team members with school and grade, the Team Leader’s school or group, and a video link that needs no password
SectionsSummary (one page at most), Objective, Solution, Safety, Learning Achievements, Next Steps, References and Acknowledgements
Video"The video entry must be a single, 4-minute maximum, video." Maximum file size 300 MB.
Originality"100% of the project's content must be original content and created specifically for the Challenge after August 1, 2026."

Video details judges enforce

"Judges will only view the first four minutes of the video." Credits, if any, count inside the four minutes. A phone video should be shot horizontally, and a recorded team video call is allowed.

Someone outside the team may film and edit, but the people on screen and the content must come from team members. Test the link on several computers before the deadline.

Code, tools and cost

The FAQ says "There is no requirement that the code be shared", though a link to the code can strengthen a project. A physical build is optional; a fully digital project is fine.

Paid tools are allowed and "At this time, there are no tools that are prohibited." Costs are not reimbursed, and many free tools work well for a student project.

The single most important honesty rule is in the FAQ: a team can be disqualified for "academic dishonesty such as not disclosing the use of an SI tool". Every tool used for the project and for writing the submission belongs in the References and Acknowledgements section.

Scoring

How the Standard Track is scored out of 100

At least three judges score each eligible project at the state level with the published guides. These are the Standard Track points for student teams.

Standard Track scoring guide for student teams, 2027 cycle (official Scoring Guides page)
CriterionPointsWhat judges look for
Objective Definition and Relevance10A real school or community need, and why it matters
SI Solution20How the AI would work in practice, in detail
Research and Accuracy15Age-relevant research into the need and the technology
Safety10Physical and emotional safety of users, and data security
Process and Learning15Planning, roles, what was learned, challenges overcome
Use and Validation of SI Concepts10Sound, realistic and justified use of AI
Originality and Creativity10An innovative and thoughtful approach
Video Quality10Clear, engaging, shows feasibility and potential
Total100As published: "Total: 100 points"

Ties, and the Trailblazer weights

Ties on the Standard Track are broken first by Originality and Creativity and second by SI Solution, so those two rows matter beyond their points.

The Trailblazer guide shifts weight: Use and Validation of SI Concepts rises to 20, Research Supporting Novelty is 15 and is the first tie break, and originality moves out of the points into an eligibility check that happens before scoring.

What the numbers tell a team

Our reading of the Standard Track guide: the video row is worth 10, while the SI Solution row alone is worth 20, and two more rows judge research and the soundness of the AI. A polished video cannot rescue a vague method.

Safety is a full 10 points on its own row. Teams that collect photos, voices or names from other students should say exactly how that data is protected.

Our method

A page budget that follows the points

Ten pages fill fast. We give each section space in rough proportion to the points it earns. This budget is ours, not an official template.

A 10-page plan for a Standard Track PDF (ours; title page not counted)
SectionPagesLinked criteria
Summary1Every criterion; the rules cap it at one page
Objective1Objective Definition and Relevance
Solution3SI Solution, Use and Validation, Originality
Safety1Safety
Learning Achievements2Process and Learning, Research and Accuracy
Next Steps1Process and Learning
References and Acknowledgements1Research and Accuracy, and tool disclosure

Our arithmetic: 1 + 1 + 3 + 1 + 2 + 1 + 1 = 10 pages, the limit, with the Solution section given three because the SI Solution row, the largest on the guide at 20 points, is judged mostly there, along with originality and the validity of the method. Teams that run long usually do so in the Objective; one tight page with a single number from real research beats three pages of background.

A worked example

Proving the AI works: a ten-line accuracy check

The Learning Achievements section asks how the team tested any AI output and how accurate it was. Here is how a student can answer with evidence, using our own example project.

Our example: a middle school team trains an image model to sort photos of lunchroom waste into recycle or trash. Before trusting it, the students sort ten new photos by hand, then compare the model’s answers with their own. The script uses only plain Python, so it runs in any editor.

Python · compare the model with the teampython
# accuracy_check.py (ours): does the model agree with the team?
# The team sorted 10 photos by hand first. Those labels are the truth.
team_labels = ["recycle", "trash", "recycle", "recycle", "trash",
               "trash", "recycle", "trash", "recycle", "recycle"]
model_said = ["recycle", "trash", "trash", "recycle", "trash",
              "recycle", "recycle", "trash", "recycle", "recycle"]

correct = 0
mistakes = []
pairs = zip(team_labels, model_said)
for item, (truth, guess) in enumerate(pairs, start=1):
    if truth == guess:
        correct += 1
    else:
        mistakes.append((item, truth, guess))

total = len(team_labels)
print(f"Accuracy: {correct}/{total} = {correct / total:.0%}")
for item, truth, guess in mistakes:
    print(f"  photo {item}: we said {truth}, model said {guess}")

Output: Accuracy: 8/10 = 80%, then photo 3 (we said recycle, model said trash) and photo 6 (we said trash, model said recycle). Ten photos is our toy number; a real test set should be larger and should never include photos the model was trained on.

What to write from this

A sentence a judge can check: "On 10 photos the model had never seen, it agreed with our labels 8 times (80%). It confused a greasy pizza box and a juice carton, so we added 40 more photos of those two items and tested again."

That one paragraph answers the accuracy question, shows a challenge overcome and gives the Next Steps section something real to say.

Why the error list matters most

The accuracy figure is a summary; the list of mistakes is the learning. Students who look at which photos failed find the pattern, and that pattern is what the Use and Validation criterion rewards.

This is the lesson we teach in class: never report a model you have not tested on fresh data, and always say what it gets wrong.

Nine weeks

A nine-week plan to the December 23, 2026 deadline

Our plan for a team that starts in mid October, with about three hours a week per student including one class. Dates are for the 2027 cycle.

Nine weeks to a Presidential SI Challenge submission (ours)
Week ofGoalFinished when
October 19, 2026Team Leader registers; pick a real problemRegistration confirmed and consent forms collected
October 26Research the needOne fact from a real source, written down with its link
November 2Choose the AI methodOne sentence naming the method and why it fits
November 9 and 16Build a first versionSomething that runs end to end, however rough
November 23Test on fresh dataAn accuracy figure and a list of mistakes
November 30Improve and retestA second figure, and what changed
December 7Write the PDFAll sections drafted inside the page budget
December 14Record the video and cut itUnder four minutes, link tested on three computers
December 21Submit earlySubmitted before December 23, every tool disclosed

Grades K to 5

A teacher-led idea with a ready-made tool, such as an image sorter trained in a browser. The learning write-up matters more than the code.

Grades 6 to 8

A small classifier or a tested chatbot with clear rules. Students write and run the accuracy check themselves.

Grades 9 to 12

A trained model in Python with a real test set, or a Trailblazer idea backed by research on what already exists.

Readiness

Where a student is before the Challenge

A rough map of AI skill, from hearing the word to defending a method in front of judges.

Four steps of AI readiness for a Challenge entry (ours)
StepThe student can
1. AwareExplain in their own words what an AI model does with examples
2. UserUse an age-appropriate tool and notice when it is wrong
3. TesterMeasure a model on fresh data and report its mistakes
4. BuilderTrain, test, improve and explain a model for a real problem

For parents

The Challenge counts learning as much as results. A team at step 2 in October can reach step 3 by December, and the write-up rewards that growth.

Check the age rules of every AI tool your child uses; the Challenge itself asks that tools follow their terms of service and are supervised.

For students

Keep a log from the first week: each tool, what you asked it and what you kept. It becomes your References section.

Test before you trust. A single honest accuracy figure is worth more to a judge than a page of promises.

The catalogue

Nine courses for future AI builders, kindergarten to grade 12

Live online lessons with a regular teacher, matched to the grade bands the Challenge uses.

I

Elementary

Grades K to 5

PAC / ELM / 02

Game development for kids

Projects that feel finished.

Open the syllabus
II

Middle school

Grades 6 to 8

PAC / MID / 03

Visual machine learning

Models without code first.

Open the syllabus
III

High school

Grades 9 to 12

PAC / HS / 01

Data science for teens

Real datasets, honest charts.

Open the syllabus

Lesson times

AI lessons that fit a fall semester

Weekdays or weekends, flexible: choose your batch, or for a very personalised plan choose 1-on-1 at your convenience, weekend mornings or weekdays.

Weekdays

After school in your own time zone.

Weekends

Longer build sessions before the December rush.

1-on-1

Paced to one student’s part of the team project.

Concepts first

What a model learns, and how it fails.

Real Python

Code the student can read aloud.

Testing habit

Fresh data, accuracy, error lists.

Writing help

Explaining a method in plain words.

Any state

Online, from Alaska to Puerto Rico.

Group or solo

Batches of fifteen to twenty, or one to one.

Student work

Projects built by our students

From first models to finished apps, these are learners’ own builds. More are on the student labs page.

NutriLife AI nutrition coach project screenshot

AI and ML

NutriLife

An AI nutrition coach that reads what you eat and works you toward a target.

by Bhavya · Open it

Misti AI chatbot for maths and coding screenshot

AI and ML

Misti

A chatbot that answers mathematics and programming questions, built and deployed by a student.

by Harshit · Open it

GuardianX AI internet safety assistant screenshot

AI and ML

GuardianX

An assistant that helps a young person recognise unsafe situations online.

by Vivaan · Open it

SkyCast weather forecast application screenshot

Web app

SkyCast

A weather forecasting site with live conditions for any location.

by Krish

Fees

Fees

The Challenge charges no entry fee, and its FAQ notes that project costs are the team’s own. Our lessons are billed monthly in US dollars, so a student can learn through the fall build and stop after the December deadline.

Free first class

USD 0

no card required

  • A free first lesson
  • Bring the team’s idea
  • No card details
Book it

Group batch

USD 100

a month, billed in US dollars

  • Fifteen to twenty learners
  • A regular AI teacher
  • Pick a batch that fits
  • Billed monthly
Start here

One to one

USD 150

a month, billed in US dollars

  • One student, one teacher
  • Built around the project
  • Your own pace
Enquire

What families say

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What parents wrote on Google, word for word.

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Questions from families

Presidential AI Challenge: common questions

Is the Presidential AI Challenge the same as the Presidential SI Challenge?

Yes. After an order signed on September 29, 2026 replaced the term AI with SI in federal use, the official site says the Challenge will be referred to as the Presidential SI Challenge. The competition and its rules continue.

Who can enter the 2027 Presidential SI Challenge?

K-12 students in elementary, middle and high school categories, plus full-time K-12 educators. Every participant must be a U.S. citizen, U.S. national or lawful permanent resident at an eligible U.S. school.

Can my child enter alone?

Only with a teacher from the same school as Team Leader, the FAQ says. Otherwise teams are 1 to 5 students in grades K-5 or 1 to 4 students in grades 6-8 or 9-12, led by one adult.

Who can be a Team Leader?

An adult aged 21 or older who is a full-time public, private or homeschool teacher, a leader of an approved community group such as 4-H or scouts, or an eligible NSF principal investigator.

What are the 2027 cycle deadlines?

Registration closes Friday, December 18, 2026 and projects are due Wednesday, December 23, 2026, both at 5:00 p.m. Eastern. A team registered late cannot submit.

How long can the video be?

Four minutes at most, in a single video. The official page says judges will only view the first four minutes, and any credits count inside that time.

How many pages is the PDF?

No more than 10 pages plus a title page, 11 pages in total, at 12-point type or larger, in one PDF no larger than 30 MB.

Are AI tools like chatbots allowed?

Yes. The FAQ says no tools are prohibited at this time, but every tool must be disclosed, and failing to disclose one counts as academic dishonesty. Tools must be age-appropriate and used under their terms.

Does our team have to share its code?

No. The FAQ says there is no requirement that the code be shared, although a link to the code in the PDF can strengthen a project.

When are classes held?

Weekdays or weekends, flexible: choose your batch, or for a very personalised plan choose 1-on-1 at your convenience, weekend mornings or weekdays.

How can Modern Age Coders help?

We teach the AI, Python and testing skills a student needs to contribute to their team. We do not act as Team Leader, register teams or write any part of a submission; the Challenge requires the work to be the students' own.

Elsewhere on this site

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