Northstar Middle School students head to Washington, DC for Presidential AI Challenge finals

Three sixth grade students from Northstar Middle School have earned national recognition for their work in artificial intelligence (AI) by advancing to the finals of the Presidential AI Challenge. Viha Iyer, Arya Pratap and Shrimayi Shetty were selected as regional winners for their project “SkillUp” in the Middle School, Track 1 division. Their achievement places them among a select group of students nationwide who have demonstrated innovative thinking and problem-solving using AI.

The team first advanced from a highly competitive state level, where approximately 350 teams were selected from more than 2,600 submissions. From there, only 40 middle school teams across the country advanced to the national finals. Their regional win has earned them the opportunity to compete at the highest level of the challenge, showcasing their project and ideas alongside other top student teams.

As finalists, Viha, Arya and Shrimayi will travel to Washington, DC for a three-day, in-person experience June 7-10 where they will present their work as part of the Presidential AI Challenge finals. This accomplishment reflects not only the students’ dedication and creativity, but also meets the district’s organizational principles in the student profile of our strategic framework of being Curious and Innovative.