Melania Trump launches the 2027 Presidential Superintelligence Challenge, a national AI contest for students and educators

Context

The post contains only the title and a video. Details come from the White House press pool release and the official rules hosted by ORISE, a Department of Energy institute. The Hill reported that the contest is her earlier student AI competition rebranded with the SI name.

Deep dive

On October 13, Melania Trump posted: THE 2027 PRESIDENTIAL SUPERINTELLIGENCE CHALLENGE, with a video announcement.

According to the White House press pool release and the official rules, the challenge is a nationwide competition for students from kindergarten through 12th grade. Students build projects using SI, the administration's new term for AI, to address challenges in their schools, communities or the nation, while educators can submit projects on bringing SI into teaching or school operations.

The rules describe two student tracks, called Standard and Trailblazer, plus an educator category, with state, regional and national rounds. Registration closes December 18, 2026, and projects are due December 23, according to the rules. The release also created a First Lady Seal of SI Readiness that schools can earn by meeting readiness milestones described in a guidebook.

The Hill reported that the contest is a rebranding of Melania Trump's earlier student AI competition under the super intelligence name. It follows the September 29 executive order directing agencies to use SI terminology and the launch of SI.gov the same day, covered in story 31.

What to expect next

Watch how many schools and students sign up before the December 18 deadline, and which projects reach the national round.

Also watch whether the First Lady Seal of SI Readiness becomes tied to any federal education funding, and how teachers respond to the push to bring AI into classrooms. The projects that win will also offer an early look at how students use AI tools, and could shape future White House education policy.