Official Rules and Permission Forms

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Presidential AI Challenge
Official Rules

I. Challenge
II. Project Categories/Tracks
III. Project Outputs
IV. Participation Categories
V. Parental and Legal Guardian Consent
VI. Eligibility Requirements for Participation
VII. Registration
VIII. Resources and Activities for Training and Support
IX. Requirements and Deliverables
X. Optional Competition for Prizes and Championships: The Challenge Competition
XI. Competition Tiers
XII. Judging Panel and Sample Scoring Guides for the Challenge Competition
XIII. Prizes
XIV. Timeline
XV. Terms and Conditions for Participating in the Presidential AI Challenge

I. Challenge

The Presidential Artificial Intelligence (AI) Challenge seeks to inspire young people and educators to create AI-based innovative solutions to community challenges while fostering interest and competency in AI technologies. Students and educators of all backgrounds and expertise are encouraged to participate and ignite a new spirit of innovation as we celebrate 250 years of independence and look to the next 250.

II. Project Categories/Tracks

Youth participants will complete a project that involves the study, development, or use of an AI method or tool to address community challenges, while educators will focus on creative approaches to teaching or using AI technologies in K-12 learning. How can AI technologies be used to develop new ways of helping people address the items below that are of particular interest to the White House (more items can be found in the Appendix and will be available on the website)?

• Finding better jobs
• Making communities or schools safer
• Designing healthier or more economical meal plans
• Finding better and less expensive housing and transportation
• Helping educators develop customized learning plans for students
• Creating a “skills report card” for students to go alongside their academic transcript

Projects will require research and creative thinking in one of the following categories:

• Track I (proposal): Teams create an in-depth proposal for how AI technologies could be applied to address a community challenge. The proposal must address an observed challenge in the student’s community, detail the mechanisms for applying AI technologies, and elaborate on how AI technologies could help address that challenge.
• Track II (technical/implementation): Teams build a solution with AI technologies that can help address a community challenge. Solutions could take many forms, such as phone apps, websites, or processes, with supporting materials showing how people would leverage the technologies and how AI technologies are helpful in addressing that challenge.
• Track III (for Educators only): Educator teams create an innovative approach that either 1) teaches an AI concept or tool to some subset of K-12 youth, or 2) explores how AI tools can assist educators in creating transformative teaching and learning experiences. Educators will develop and produce a video or other electronic demonstration of the approach.

For the Challenge, teams are encouraged to make use of any type of AI technology, such as generative AI, large language models, machine learning, deep learning, natural language processing, robotics, computer vision, expert systems, decision trees, and neural networks, among others.

III. Project Outputs

• Teams in Track I will prepare a presentation poster that details the proposed solution, as well as a written, narrative project summary that reflects on learning achievements, research, and lessons learned.
• Teams in Track II will provide a demonstration or video of the technology solution, as well as a written, narrative project summary that reflects on learning achievements, detailing study patterns and lessons learned.
• Educators in Track III will prepare a video or other electronic demonstration of their innovative approach to either 1) teach an AI concept or tool to K-12 students, or 2) explore how AI tools can assist in creating transformative teaching and learning experiences, as well as a written, narrative project summary.

IV. Participation Categories

1. Elementary Category (Tracks I and II)
   • Groups or classrooms of children in grades K-5 led only by their program/classroom leaders
     • For the Elementary School Category, the Challenge limits participation to passive learning, meaning youth will not be trained to create or actively use AI tools
   • One program/classroom leader will use the Challenge resources, attend Challenge-sponsored events, and submit the Challenge project
2. Middle School Youth Category (Tracks I and II)
   • Grades 6-8
   • Groups of 1-4 youth and one Supervising Adult who will submit the Challenge project
3. High School Youth Category (Tracks I and II)
   • Grades 9-12
   • Groups of 1-4 youth and one Supervising Adult who will submit the Challenge project
4. Educator Category (Track III)
   • Any instructor or educator of K-12 youth
   • Groups of 1-3 educators

V. Parental and Legal Guardian Consent

To address important parental concerns regarding online activity and the use of AI in learning, this challenge will foster an environment of creativity and innovation as youth safely learn about productive and responsible uses of AI tools.

Parent or legal guardian permission is required for youth participants, accompanied by their supervising adults, to work under the mentorship and guidance of volunteer community leaders, educators, and/or technical experts drawn from government, private industry, philanthropy, academia, and youth, education, and STEM organizations as they complete their projects. Parental or legal guardian permission is also required of elementary school participants, even though the elementary youth will not directly work with AI tools or Challenge Partners.

VI. Eligibility Requirements for Participation

• Each educator and community program leader/volunteer must be at least 18 years old.
• For elementary youth, the lead community group leader or educator must collect a signed Parental and Legal Guardian Consent and Media Release for Elementary Youth Participants form for each youth as part of the registration process.
• For middle and high school youth teams, a parent, community leader, or educator, referred to as the “Supervising Adult,” must collect a signed Parental and Legal Guardian Consent and Media Release for Youth Participants (Grades 6-12) form for each youth as part of the registration process.
• Each educator and Supervising Adult must submit a completed Adult Consent and Media Release for Educators and Volunteers form before they (or their team) can begin participating in any mentorship or training activities sponsored by the Challenge.

VII. Registration

The Challenge online registration will open on August 25, 2025. Each team of youth or educators must register for the Challenge prior to submitting a project or participating in any mentorship or training activities sponsored by the Challenge. Part of the registration process will include submitting the appropriate Consent and Media Release Form for each participant.

For middle and high school youth teams, the Supervising Adult must collect a signed Parental and Legal Guardian Consent and Media Release Form for each youth as part of the registration process.

For elementary youth, the lead community group leader or educator must collect a signed Elementary Parental and Legal Guardian Consent and Media Release Form for each youth as part of the registration process.

The registration process will ask for the following information:

• Participation Category: Elementary, Middle School, High School, or Educator
  • Elementary Category
    • Educator/Community Leader name, school/homeschool/community group, email address, phone number, affiliation with the group of elementary youth (family/teacher/community leader), city, state, confirmation that all educators or community leaders are at least 18 years old, signed Parental and Legal Guardian Consent and Media Release for Educators and Volunteers form for each educator or community leader
    • Signed Parental and Legal Guardian Consent and Media Release for Elementary Youth Participants form for each youth involved with the project
  • Middle School Youth Category
    • Supervising Adult: name, email, cell phone number, affiliation with the team (parent/teacher/community leader), city, state, confirmation that the supervising adult is at least 18 years old, signed Adult Consent and Media Release for Educators and Volunteers  form
    • For each youth team member: name, school name, school city, school state
    • Signed Parental and Legal Guardian Consent and Media Release for Youth Participants (Grades 6-12) form for each youth involved with the project
• High School Youth Category
  • Supervising Adult: Name, email, cell phone number, affiliation with the team (family/teacher/community leader), city, state, confirmation that the supervising adult is at least 18 years old, signed Adult Consent and Media Release for Educators and Volunteers form
  • For each youth team member: name, school name, school city, school state
  • Signed Parental and Legal Guardian Consent and Media Release for Youth Participants (Grades 6-12) form for each youth involved with the project
• Educator Category
  • Educator name, school/homeschool, email address, phone number, city, state, confirmation that the educator is at least 18 years old, signed Adult Consent and Media Release for Educators and Volunteers forms

VIII. Resources and Activities for Training and Support

The Challenge website has information on all Challenge-sponsored training and support for participants, resources submitted by Challenge Partners, and a page of frequently asked questions.  The website will be updated regularly to ensure all available resources and opportunities are available to participants.

Both virtual and in-person activities that are relevant to the Challenge and open to the public will be included on the website. Participants will be able to view in-person activities by state and/or counties. Virtual activities will include live and recorded webinars as well as weekly office hours staffed by educators and AI experts from September 15 - December 15, 2025, and January 5 – 19, 2026.

Interested students and educators may access the resources posted on the website without registering for the Challenge. However, approved registration is required to access all resources, including live webinars, in-person events, or mentoring opportunities during office hours or other scheduled virtual events.

IX. Requirements and Deliverables

Elementary, middle, and high school teams in Tracks I and II will complete a project that involves the study, development, or use of an AI method or tool to address community challenges, while educators in Track III will focus on creative approaches to teaching or using AI technologies in K-12 learning. Teams’ projects will be summarized and communicated in one or more deliverables which shall be submitted online as follows.

Team members who submit projects that are compliant with the requirements below will be eligible for AI-related prize drawings and recognized with a Presidential Certificate of Participation.

Project Requirements:

1. Each submission must be a single PDF document no larger than 50 MB and no more than 10 pages in length, using 12-point (or larger) font size.
2. Each submission must include a 500-word minimum, team-authored narrative that clearly explains the team’s project and cites any tools and primary sources used. Teams may not use ChatGPT or other AI tools to create the 500-word minimum narrative. Some considerations to keep in mind when preparing the narrative include:
• Track I
• What specific community issue are you addressing, and why does it matter?
• Who is affected by this problem, and how?
• What kind of AI technology or methods are you proposing?
• How will AI tools or methods help solve or address the problem?
• What research did you conduct to support your ideas?
• Did you explain any difficulties or obstacles you encountered in developing your proposal?
• What makes your approach or solution unique?
• Did you clearly explain how AI tools or methods are used and ensure that it is realistic, effective, and responsible?
• What did you learn from working on this project?
• Is there anything else you would like to share about your project?
• Is your narrative reflective, organized, and at least 500 words?
• Track II
• What community problem are you solving, and who benefits?
• What AI methods, tools, or platforms did you use?
• How does the AI component work in your solution?
• What challenges did you face during development, and how did you address them?
• In what way is your solution creative or innovative in how it applies AI?
• How did you test or verify the accuracy of any AI-generated content, outputs, or predictions (if applicable)? How accurate did you find the outputs to be?
• How did working on this project deepen the team’s understanding of AI and its appropriate and responsible use?
• What did you learn from working on this project?
• Is there anything else you would like to share about your project?
• Is your written explanation clear, at least 500 words, and reflective of your journey?
• Does your media (video, slides, app walkthrough, etc.) explain the project well and engage the viewer?  The team’s PDF submission must include links to videos (no longer than 4 minutes), digital posters, or websites to be viewed by the judges.
• Track III
• What AI concept, method, or tool are you teaching or using?
• How is this approach different or better than traditional instruction?
• How did you ensure that the AI-generated content is appropriate for the grade level? How did you test or verify the accuracy of any AI-generated content, outputs, or predictions (if applicable)? How accurate did you find the outputs to be?
• What planning and preparation went into your instructional design?
• How does your lesson engage students? Can students apply or connect it to their own experiences?
• Did you include any evidence of impact or learning (e.g., pilot run, feedback)?
• How did working on this project deepen the team’s understanding of how to use AI concepts, methods, or tools in educational contexts?
• Is there anything else you would like to share about your project?
• Is your video or demo clear, engaging, and easy to follow?

 

3. In addition to the narrative, the PDF document must also include a link (accessible with no password) to the presentation poster (Track I) or a link to the video or demonstration of the technology solution (Track II).  Videos must be no longer than 4 minutes. Educators in Track III must include a link to their video or other demonstration of their teaching approach.
4. Each submission must include a Certification of Originality, stating the following:
   • a. The project submission is original content created by the team specifically for the Challenge.
   • b. All AI tools or technologies used are identified and credited.
   • c. All research and artifacts (maps, photos, etc.) are identified and credited.

All project submissions will be uploaded via the Challenge website.

X. Optional Competition for Prizes and Championships: The Challenge Competition

Youth and educator teams who meet the additional eligibility requirements below can voluntarily choose to enter their projects into the competition part of the Challenge (Challenge Competition), through which teams can win the opportunity to showcase their projects at a finalists’ event at the White House.

Additional Eligibility Requirement for the Challenge Competition: Each lead elementary program/classroom leader, each educator in Track III, and each middle and high school youth and their Supervising Adult must be a U.S. citizen, U.S. national (American Samoa), or lawful permanent resident (LPR).

XI. Competition Tiers

The Challenge Competition features three tiers of competition culminating in a White House showcase of top finalists. The three tiers are state, regional, and national.

1. State Level
• a.   All submitted projects will undergo Federal eligibility and compliance screening to ensure 1) each individual meets the published eligibility criteria and 2) each submission is complete, appropriate, and compliant with the published guidelines.
• b.  At least three judges will score eligible and compliant project submissions using detailed rubrics provided by the Challenge.
• c.  Scores will be sorted by state, participation category, and track to determine the State Champions for the following:
  • Elementary – Track I
  • Elementary – Track II
  • Middle School Youth – Track I
  • Middle School Youth – Track II
  • High School Youth – Track I
  • High School Youth – Track II
  • Educators – Track III
• d.  In addition to the State Champions, one additional Champion, per track and category, will be identified from the District of Columbia and one additional Champion, per track and category, will be identified from all submissions from the U.S. Territories, collectively.
• e.  Due to their large populations, two State Champions, per track and category, will be identified from California, Florida, Illinois, New York, Ohio, Pennsylvania, and Texas. (These are the states represented by 15 or more members in the U.S. House of Representatives.)
2. Regional Level
   • a.  Each State Championship team will be invited to participate in the Regional Championship.
   • b.  Five regions will be designated for the competition and places each State, the District of Columbia, and the U.S. Territories into five distinct groups. Each winning team (or teams) from the State competition is assigned to a Region for the regional competition.
   • c.  Each State Championship team will present their project to and answer questions from a panel of judges via a live, virtual format, competing against the other State Champions in their region within the same categories and tracks resulting in Regional Champions for the following:
     • Elementary – Track I (educator or group leader, only)
     • Elementary – Track II (educator or group leader, only)
     • Middle School Youth – Track I
     • Middle School Youth – Track II
     • High School Youth – Track I
     • High School Youth – Track II
     • Educators – Track III
3. National Level
   • Regional Championship teams may** be invited to the National Finals in Washington, DC, for a three-day in-person event including a White House showcase of the Regional Champions. A final competition will result in National Champions for each of the following tracks:        
     • Elementary – Track I (educator or group leader, only)
     • Elementary – Track II (educator or group leader, only)
     • Middle School Youth – Track I
     • Middle School Youth – Track II
     • High School Youth – Track I
     • High School Youth – Track II
     • Educators – Track III

** The U.S. Government must complete detailed vetting of team members, Supervising Adults, chaperones, and the teams’ projects before teams will be invited to the National Finals. See the Sample Projects section for examples of appropriate projects.

Regions have been determined by locality and population and places each state, the District of Columbia, and the U.S. territories into five distinct groups:

XII. Judging Panel and Sample Scoring Guides for the Challenge Competition

All submitted projects will undergo Federal eligibility and compliance screening to ensure 1) each individual meets the published eligibility criteria and 2) each submission is complete, appropriate, and compliant with the published guidelines.

All eligible and compliant submissions will be scored by at least three different judges. All scoring guides are available on the Challenge website. Three of the six scoring guides are shown below.

Youth Track I: In-Depth Report – Propose how AI technology could address a community challenge with detailed analysis and justification.

Scoring Guide

¹Score is used as the first tie break; ²Score is used as the second tie break                                                          

Youth Track II: Technical Solution – Build a functional AI-based solution for a real community problem and demonstrate its application.

Scoring Guide

¹Score is used as the first tie break; ²Score is used as the second tie break

Educator Track III: Innovative AI Teaching Approach –  Design and present an instructional method for teaching AI.

Scoring Rubric

¹Score is used as the first tie break; ²Score is used as the second tie break

XIII. Prizes

Prizes will be awarded throughout all phases of the Challenge, including the training opportunities in the Fall.

• All compliant submissions will be recognized with a Presidential Certificate of Participation
• Youth and educators selected as State Champions will receive:
• A Presidential Certificate of Achievement
• Gift cards and Cloud Credits
• Youth and educators selected as Regional Champions will receive:
• A Presidential Certificate of Achievement
• Gift cards and Cloud Credits
• Eligibility to be considered for the competition at the National Finals in Washington, DC, depending on the U.S. Government’s review of the team projects and vetting of team members, including any required chaperones; see the Sample Projects section for examples of appropriate projects
• Youth and educators selected as the National Champions will receive:
• The President’s Award certificate signed by the President of the United States (tentative)
• Gift cards and Cloud Credits
• Elementary Youth and Educators Category: $10,000 for the school, homeschool, or community group
• Middle School Youth Category: $10,000 per team member
• High School Youth Category: $10,000 per team member
• Educator Category: $10,000 per team member

XIV. Timeline

The Challenge

Challenge Competition Tier I: State Championships

Challenge Competition Tier II: Regional Championships

Challenge Competition Tier III: National Championships

XV. Terms and Conditions for Participating in the Presidential AI Challenge

Participation in the Presidential Artificial Intelligence Challenge (Challenge) is voluntary and is intended to foster interest and expertise in artificial intelligence (AI) technology from an early age to maintain America’s global dominance in this technological revolution for future generations. By entering, each participant (and his or her parent or legal guardian for children under the age of 18 years) warrant that the participant meets all eligibility requirements for the (Challenge). In consideration for the participation in the Challenge and its associated activities, participants (and their parent or legal guardian for children under the age of 18 years) release, discharge, indemnify and agree to hold harmless the U.S. Government, its employees, officers, directors, agents, and partners from all claims, damages, demands, obligations, or losses of any kind related to the Challenge. Nothing in these terms and conditions or any Challenge materials shall be understood to expand the scope of the U.S. Government’s existing waiver of sovereign immunity.

All communications regarding the Challenge in the Youth categories, including announcements of Challenge Competition winners, will be sent to the teams’ Supervising Adults.

Selection as a Challenge Competition winner is subject to the discretion of the U.S. Government and does not guarantee that the individual or team will be able to participate in any or all of the activities for Challenge Competition winners, nor does selection create any right or entitlement at law or equity.

Regional Challenge Competition winners are subject to additional security vetting processes, as well as other necessary terms and conditions related to the invitation to the National Finals in Washington, DC, and prize acceptance. All activities and awards are subject to availability of funding and may be modified or withdrawn without notice.

The youth and educators who create the projects for the Challenge will maintain the intellectual property rights of the work for their project submissions. The participants grant to the U.S. Government a non-exclusive license to publish, share, display, or distribute the submitted projects to promote the Challenge, showcase innovation, or educate the public.

Participating in the Challenge carries moral and ethical responsibilities for every youth and educator team member. Students and educators are expected to act with honor and integrity when conducting research and in interacting within their peer community.

• Scientific fraud and misconduct are prohibited at all levels of competition.
• Youth and educators must not fabricate data, plagiarize, or present someone else’s work as their own.
• Youth and educators must differentiate their own work from the work of others and cite sources.
• Youth and educators must respect confidentiality, privacy, and intellectual property rights.
• Youth and educators should exemplify Gold Standard Science policies especially, Sections 5(b)(i) and 5(b)(ii):
• Encourage the open exchange of ideas and
• Provide for consideration of different or dissenting viewpoints.