Sponsored by the Spark Center for Innovation in Learning

North American AI Challenge

An accelerated student design and venture challenge for inclusive excellence.

The Spark Center for Innovation in Learning, in collaboration with Enterprise Technology, proudly presents the North American AI Challenge.

The North American AI Challenge brings together student teams, higher education institutions and service-minded organizations from the United States and Mexico to advance AI for neurodiverse learning. From Oct. 24 to Nov. 21, this design and venture challenge invites students to prototype and pitch AI-driven ventures that support neurodivergent young people, while engaging higher education institutions and service-minded organizations across North America as partners and collaborators. Informed by real-world research with trusted partners that serve neurodiverse communities, student teams will develop and present venture-ready AI solutions through a series of pitch rounds. The challenge culminates in a live grand finale in Phoenix, Arizona, with $15,000 in total prizes.

Challenge structure

The North American AI Challenge operates on a regional hub-and-spoke model designed to ensure research integrity, equitable access, and high-quality live competition experiences. Participation is intentionally structured to prioritize in-person engagement, verified customer research, and regional pitch events.

Student teams recruited through Launchpad networks are invited to apply between April 15 and Sept. 30, 2026. Selected teams will be notified by Oct. 9, 2026 of their acceptance with an invitation to join the official kickoff on Oct. 24, 2026.

A core requirement of the Challenge is direct customer and market research; during their two-week design sprint, teams must conduct customer research through a Challenge Partner (Oct. 24 - Nov. 6), a curated list of institutions, programs, or service providers supporting neurodivergent individuals, ensuring proposals are grounded in institutional realities and real user needs.

All participating teams agree to pitch in-person at a Challenge Launchpad (Nov. 7), a regional pitch competition hosted by selected higher education institutions across North America. One winning team from each Launchpad site will advance to our grand finale on Nov. 21 in Phoenix, AZ where they will pitch their solutions to a panel of experts for grand prizes totaling $15,000.

Join the Challenge

Compete in the North American AI Challenge

We're challenging student technologists, designers, and entrepreneurs to design and prototype the next generation of inclusive AI.

Your goal is to build intelligent systems that decode "executive function" — the mental skills we use to plan, focus, and juggle tasks — to better support individuals with ADHD, autism, dyslexia, and other cognitive or health differences.

We want you to look beyond standard productivity apps; instead, combine neurodiversity research, AI prototyping, and smart business thinking to create something truly new. Show us how intelligent systems can uncover helpful insights, tailor support to the individual, and grow into responsible, real-world solutions.

Challenge timeline

Oct. 24 - Nov. 21, 2026

May 15 - Sept. 30 | Application window

Preformed teams from participating universities in the United States and Mexico are invited to apply through Sept. 30. All individual team members must submit an application to be considered. See our Rules section for team requirements.

Friday, Oct. 9 | Teams notified

Teams notified of their advancement and next steps via email.

Saturday, Oct. 24 | Challenge kick-off (virtual)

Participants, partners, and mentors gather online to review challenge overview and exclusive details, enjoy keynotes from challenge experts, reveal Challenge Partners, ensure tool access and begin team ideation.

Oct. 25 - Nov. 6 | Design sprint

In two weeks, teams design, conduct research with a Partner, prototype their solutions, and prepare to pitch live on Nov. 7, 2026.

Saturday, Nov. 7 | Launchpad event

Teams pitch and demo their solutions live to an expert panel of evaluators in 5-minutes or less following a 5-slide template. Each Launchpad will select one winning team to advance to the grand finale in Phoenix, AZ on Nov. 21, 2026.

Saturday, Nov. 21 | Challenge Finale, Phoenix, AZ

Advancing teams compete in Phoenix, AZ at the grand finale featuring pitches, demos and awards ceremony!

Prize pool

Gold award

$15,000

Sinema Student Seed Fund awarded to the top-ranked team.

Silver award

$5,000

Awarded to the second-ranked team.

Bronze award

$2,500

Awarded to the third-ranked team.

Gold / First Place Team

As a prize, the top-ranked team will receive the Grand Prize Sinema Student Award, a $15,000 grand prize to nurture the winning MVP from a moonshot idea to a breakthrough innovation, distributed evenly to all members of the team. Awards will be dispersed as $5,000 scholarships, distributed evenly to all members of the team as scholarships through your host institutions, and $10,000 in seed funding.

Sinema Student Award winners will receive:

Access to mentorship and technical support from Arizona State University.
Engagement with a global community of innovators tackling similar challenges.
Entry into SCIL’s virtual Pitch Studio in preparation for live pitching opportunities.
A platform to spotlight their work and learn from leaders in AI, entrepreneurship and education technology.
Year-long support from SCIL’s virtual Venture Studio, where ventures refine their business model, validate impact, and prepare for investors.

Silver / Second Place Team

The second place team or runner up team will receive a $5,000 Silver award, distributed evenly to all members of the team. Awards will be dispersed as a scholarship through your host institutions.

Bronze / Third Place Team

The third place team or runner up team will receive a $2,500 Bronze award, distributed evenly to all members of the team. Awards will be dispersed as a scholarship through your host institutions.

Challenge Requirements

We are seeking mature teams of 3–5 students from eligible North American universities—specifically interdisciplinary groups of developers, entrepreneurs, and neurodiversity advocates who possess established trust and a proven collaborative history.

While you bring your existing team chemistry, we challenge you to build a completely original, AI-powered venture from scratch during our intensive 2-week sprint. Your mission is to develop a functional Minimum Viable Prototype (MVP) that centers on a crucial customer experience, transforming your collective expertise into a brand-new solution for the neurodivergent community.

All teams must be pre-formed and are composed of 3-5 teammates.
All teammates must submit individual registrations by Sept. 30 to be included in the challenge.
Teams are required to incorporate customer research data and/or strategies through a Challenge Partner, a vetted organization from a curated list of institutions, programs, or service providers supporting neurodivergent individuals.
Teams are required to create a functional minimum viable prototype (FMVP) that incorporates AI and customer research conducted through a Challenge Partner.
FMVP submissions must be original work completed within the 2-week challenge sprint.
Team submissions are due by the submission deadline. No extensions will be granted.

A core requirement of the Challenge is direct customer and market research. Each team must conduct structured research with a Challenge Partner, a vetted organization from a curated list of institutions, programs, or service providers supporting neurodivergent individuals (e.g., workforce readiness programs, student support services, community-based neurodiversity organizations). This requirement ensures solutions are grounded in lived experience, institutional realities, and real user needs.

Participating teams must design and prototype AI-powered neurotech solutions that:

Address executive function patterns and transitions experienced by neurodivergent young adults
Explore early indicators, adaptive systems, behavioral signals, or context-aware interventions
Translate research insights into actionable, human-centered design
Demonstrate technical feasibility, ethical consideration, and entrepreneurial potential

Standalone “focus apps” or generic productivity tools will not be competitive. Successful teams will demonstrate novel AI applications, interdisciplinary thinking, and a clear understanding of the real-world contexts in which their solution operates.

Call for Launchpad Hosts!

Interested in hosting a regional Challenge Launchpad?

Submit an interest form to explore how your institution can help elevate student innovation and advance inclusive AI across North America.

Spark Center Global AI Challenge Arizona AI Challenge