Presidential SI Challenge 2027 · registration open through Dec 18, 2026
The Presidential AI Challenge,
a guide for K-8 families
The Presidential AI Challenge is now the 2027 Presidential SI (Super Intelligence) Challenge, open to K-12 students, educators and schools, with registration open through December 18, 2026. Here is who can enter, what last year's rules asked for, and project ideas a K-8 child can actually build.
Independent guide. iMasterly is not affiliated with the White House or the challenge. Official rules: si.gov.
Last reviewed against si.gov, whitehouse.gov and the official guidebook
What is confirmed for 2027
| Official detail | |
|---|---|
| Launched | October 13, 2026, by First Lady Melania Trump |
| Registration | Open through December 18, 2026, on si.gov |
| Who can take part | K-12 students, educators and schools |
| Students | Complete a project that involves the study, development or use of an SI method or tool to address community challenges |
| Educators | Creative approaches to teaching or using SI in K-12 learning |
| Schools (new) | Complete SI-readiness milestones to earn the First Lady Seal of SI Readiness |
| Why the new name | A September 29, 2026 executive order replaced "Artificial Intelligence" with "Super Intelligence" (SI) across the executive branch |
| Last round | More than 20,000 students from all 50 states and U.S. schools around the world |
Not yet on the official pages (checked October 15, 2026): the 2027 project deadline, age divisions, team sizes and judging dates. Sources: si.gov challenge page, White House announcement, ORISE challenge site.
Last year's rules (2025-26), as a guide
Until the 2027 guidebook is published, the best guide is the official 2025 Guidebook for Participation. The 2027 rules may differ.
Who could enter
| Category | Grades | Team | Who submits |
|---|---|---|---|
| Elementary | K-5 | A group or classroom led by an educator or a community group such as 4-H | The group or classroom leader |
| Middle school | 6-8 | 1-4 students + one Supervising Adult (teacher, parent or community member) | The Supervising Adult |
| High school | 9-12 | 1-4 students + one Supervising Adult | The Supervising Adult |
| Educators | K-12 teachers | 1-3 educators; homeschool educators qualified with documentation | The lead educator |
Tracks and what to submit
Proposal
An in-depth proposal for how AI could address a problem in the student's community, with a presentation poster (digital, or a photo of a real one).
Build
A working solution — an app, a website or a process — with a demonstration or a single video of up to 4 minutes.
The written narrative
At least 500 words, written by the team, citing the tools and sources used. Everything goes in one PDF: up to 10 pages, 50 MB, 12-point font or larger.
Last year's timeline
| Stage | 2025-26 date |
|---|---|
| Registration opened | August 26, 2025 |
| Project submission deadline | January 20, 2026 |
| State Champions announced | Between March 16 and April 1, 2026 |
| Regional events (virtual) | March 27 - April 13, 2026 |
| National finals, Washington, DC | June 7-10, 2026 |
Every compliant project got a Presidential Certificate of Participation. The state, regional and national competition was optional.
How a parent gets their child in
Find a team leader
Last year an elementary child could not be entered alone by a parent. Ask the class teacher, the school's STEM or library teacher, or a 4-H or other community group leader to register a group. Homeschool families: a homeschool educator could lead with documentation such as a letter of intent to homeschool.
You can be the Supervising Adult
Last year a team of 1-4 middle schoolers needed one Supervising Adult, and a parent counted. The adult registers the team, collects consent forms and submits the project.
Either way: register before December 18, 2026, then confirm the 2027 deadline and rules on si.gov.
Project ideas a K-8 child can build
The strongest projects start with a real problem at school or at home. Each idea below uses the same core move: train a simple model by example, test it on things it has never seen, and write down where it goes wrong. A child can do that with a no-code tool like Train Your Own AI or any age-appropriate tool, used under adult supervision and within the tool's terms.
Recycling sorter
Train a model on pictures of cafeteria waste: recyclable or not. Test it on items it hasn't seen. Where does it get confused, and why?
The red-apple bias test
Train only on red apples, then show a green one. Explain how lopsided examples make an unfair model, and fix it with better data.
Library book helper
Sort book covers into "picture book" or "chapter book" to help younger kids find books. Count how often it is right.
Lost-and-found matcher
Train on photos of jackets, bottles and lunchboxes so the school office can sort the lost-and-found pile faster.
Backyard bird counter
Teach a model a few local birds from photos, then track which birds visit a feeder. What happens with a bird it never saw?
Safe-crossing proposal
A proposal-track idea: how could a model help a crossing guard? Who would it help, what could go wrong, and how would you test it?
What judges asked about last year (Track II)
What community problem are you solving, and who benefits? How does the AI part work? What challenges did you hit? How did you test the accuracy of its outputs, and how accurate were they? What did you learn? A child who trained and tested their own model can answer every one of these from experience.
Submission checklist
Based on last year's requirements. Recheck each line against the 2027 guidebook.
- Team registered by an eligible leader before December 18, 2026.
- Consent forms collected by the team leader.
- A clear community problem, and who it affects.
- A narrative of at least 500 words, written by the team, citing every tool and source used.
- Track I: a poster link. Track II: one demo video, 4 minutes or less.
- Accuracy tested and reported: what the model got right, what it got wrong.
- Everything in a single PDF: 10 pages or fewer, 50 MB or less, 12-point font or larger.
Sources
Every fact on this page comes from these official pages. Last reviewed .
More on AI for kids
Common questions
Is the Presidential AI Challenge the same as the Presidential SI Challenge?
Yes. A September 29, 2026 executive order replaced "Artificial Intelligence" with "Super Intelligence" (SI) across the executive branch, so the challenge is now called the Presidential SI Challenge. The 2027 round was launched by First Lady Melania Trump on October 13, 2026.
When is the registration deadline?
The official challenge page says registration for the 2027 Presidential SI Challenge is open through December 18, 2026. Register on si.gov.
When are 2027 projects due?
As of October 15, 2026, the official pages we checked do not give the 2027 project deadline. Last year projects were due January 20, 2026. Check si.gov after you register, and plan to finish early.
Can my elementary child enter on their own?
Under last year's rules, no. Grades K-5 entered as groups or classrooms led by an educator or a community group such as a 4-H club, and that leader submitted the project. A homeschool educator could qualify with documentation. The 2027 rules are not published yet, so check the new guidebook when it appears.
Can a parent lead a middle school team?
Last year, yes. A middle school team was 1 to 4 students in grades 6-8 plus one Supervising Adult, who could be a teacher, a parent or a community member.
Does my child need to code?
No. Last year had a proposal track (a poster plus a written narrative) as well as a build track. Even the build track asks how the solution uses AI, not for a certain amount of code. A no-code model a child trains and tests themselves can be the heart of a project.
What is the First Lady Seal of SI Readiness?
New for 2027: eligible U.S. K-12 schools can earn it by completing and submitting evidence of a set of SI-readiness milestones. The full milestone list was not on the official pages we checked on October 15, 2026.
Is iMasterly part of the challenge?
No. iMasterly is not affiliated with the White House, the challenge, or its organizers. This page is an independent guide; the official rules are on si.gov.
Start with a model your child trains
The core of a strong K-8 project is a model the child taught, tested and caught making mistakes. Train Your Own AI does that in the browser, with no code.
See Train Your Own AI →Teachers planning a class entry: the 8-week AI unit for schools →