DoWEA Announces State Winners for the Presidential AI Challenge

In April 2025, an executive order directed the establishment of the Presidential AI Challenge to expand artificial intelligence education for America’s youth and to foster early interest, confidence, and technical literacy in AI. The challenge encourages students and educators to explore how AI tools and methods can be applied responsibly to address real‑world community needs. This year, DoWEA is proud to recognize 2026 Presidential AI Challenge State Champion teams in nine DoWEA schools.

2026 DoWEA State Champions

• Bob Hope Elementary School
• Brussels Unit School
• Daegu Elementary School
• Sevilla Elementary Middle School
• Sigonella Middle High School
• Spangdahlem Middle School
• Stowers Elementary School
• Stuttgart High School
• Zukeran Elementary School

Project Innovation and Learning

Teachers and students across DoWEA schools submitted dozens of projects for this year’s competition, reflecting a wide range of instructional goals and community‑centered applications. Student teams designed and iterated AI‑supported solutions focused on math instruction, writing development, news broadcasting, language learning, mock interviews, virtual assistants, and more. Across grade levels, projects emphasized creative problem‑solving, collaboration, and responsible use of AI technologies, positioning students as active participants in an AI‑supported future.

Expanding Access to Academic Support Through AI

Grady Guth, a senior at Sigonella Middle High School, developed his award‑winning project, Smart Math AI, as part of his Engineering Design and Development course. In this course, students applied the engineering design process to solve real‑world problems aligned with the Presidential AI Challenge. Guth’s project addressed a common challenge for students: limited access to effective academic support outside the classroom, particularly in mathematics.

To better understand this issue, Guth surveyed students across multiple grade levels about their experiences with platforms such as Khan Academy and MATHia. The results revealed that many students felt these tools did not significantly improve their understanding, often because they assumed prior knowledge or allowed completion of tasks without true comprehension.

In response, Guth created Smart Math AI, a tool that provides real‑time, step‑by‑step guidance when teacher support is unavailable. The program can operate independently or alongside existing platforms, helping students develop conceptual understanding rather than simply completing assignments. Guth built the system using HTML, CSS, and JavaScript through Replit and integrated Google Gemini to power its responsive AI features. His project demonstrates both advanced technical skill and strong potential to positively impact student learning.

Building Cultural Connections Through Student Voice

At Bob Hope Elementary School, Ms. Holly Willenbrock and Ms. Amy Maddocks supported students in developing a proposal for a student‑created podcast project that uses AI translation and media tools available in Classlink to help bridge cultural and language gaps between American and Okinawan student communities. Students shared concerns about the challenges they faced as newcomers to the island, as well as their desire to better understand the lives and cultures of local students their own age.

Through shared stories, holidays, traditions, and student voices, the project, Hello From Here, Konnichiwa From There, promotes understanding, inclusion, and connection between military‑connected students living abroad and the local community. Student Lydia Maxey shared, “This idea is a really good opportunity to reach out to our Okinawan community.” Students hope to collaborate with a local partner school to reciprocate idea sharing from the Okinawan perspective and make the podcasts accessible to peers their age.

Ms. Willenbrock shared, “I am proud of how students utilized the (limited) available resources to create a project that is capable of bridging cultural gaps and strengthening relationships within the community. I am also proud of their foresight as their idea was unique and one that would benefit not only themselves but also others for years to come. Throughout this process, they really demonstrated empathy in discussing challenges, perseverance in overcoming setbacks, and maturity during their panel interview.”

Students believe the project can be continuously maintained on the island and expanded to additional DoWEA locations worldwide. Student Olive Wilson reflected, “It felt so special to be able to be a part of an unforgettable opportunity and I really hope my community will benefit from it.”

Supporting Learning Zones with Privacy-First AI

At Zukeran Elementary School in Okinawa, Japan, fourth-grade students built a privacy-first, browser-based tool designed around the Zones of Regulation framework.  Their project, Zoe Zones, goes beyond check-ins by responding and offering students a personalized regulation strategy when they need one. The system’s adaptive learning engine tracks which strategies work for individual students over time, becoming more responsive with continued use. 

As student Maxx Pirkle shared, “Zoe zones helps me feel like I’m ready to learn again.” Notably, the tool requires no login, uses no server, and keeps all data within the classroom. Mr. Cameron Perry-Kline shared, "I'm proud of these kids not because they won a competition, but because they saw a real problem and refused to accept it. Every morning I watched students check in and get nothing back. These 27 fourth graders decided that wasn't good enough and then they actually did something about it. Zoe is theirs. AI just wrote the code." 

Creativity and Collaboration 

A team of eighth graders from Sevilla Elementary Middle School demonstrated how AI can support creativity and collaboration by designing a board game called Way of the Wild. The students used AI to support the game’s development and relied on 3D printing to produce custom game pieces, combining digital tools with hands-on problem solving. As student Aiden Boepple shared, “Using AI to create this board game taught me how to use AI for more creative purposes.” Student Mateo Gutierrez highlighted the collaborative nature of the experience, noting that “Participating in the Presidential AI challenge was engaging because everyone was collaborating as a team.” 

The project also helped students develop a more realistic understanding of AI, with student Brooklynn Hopkin reflecting, “One thing I didn't realize about using AI was how hard it is to communicate with it to get our desired results.” Their teacher, Mrs. Metcalf, emphasized the learning process behind the final product, saying, “I have really enjoyed working with these students, listening to them learn and collaborate. It was great to see them explore all of the ways that AI could be useful and helpful to them as they brought their vision to life.”

How Projects Were Evaluated

Projects were evaluated using comprehensive rubrics designed to assess both technical competence and meaningful application. Criteria included problem identification and potential impact, relevance to national priorities outlined in the executive order, and originality and creativity. Judges also considered technical implementation, including understanding of AI models, tools, or platforms used, the iterative development process, and overall functionality.

Advancing to the Next Phase

Participation in the Presidential AI Challenge supports DoWEA’s broader goal of preparing students to engage confidently in an AI‑assisted workforce. Throughout April, each State Championship Team will present its project to a panel of judges. Teams selected as Regional Champions will be notified in May and will advance to the National Finals in Washington, DC, in June.

DoWEA commends all students and educators who participated in this year’s challenge and extends congratulations to the 2026 State Champions for their innovation, collaboration, and leadership in responsible AI use.