Alcoa, TN (WOKI) – A group of students from Alcoa Intermediate School is gaining national attention after advancing to the finals of this year’s Presidential A.I. Challenge in Washington, D.C.
The competition began with more than 20,000 teams from across the country, but only about 40 advanced to the final round. The East Tennessee students earned their spot with an artificial intelligence-powered tutoring tool designed to help classmates better understand and complete their homework.
“We found that a lot of students struggled with their homework, so we wanted to create a homework helper app that’s basically a built-in tutor for students so that grades go up and they’re more successful,” said fifth-grader Ayden Taverna.
Students say the app is designed to provide guidance rather than just answers, helping users better manage their time and improve comprehension.
“To make sure kids understand their homework, not just get the answers, but to understand their homework and to do their homework on time,” said fourth-grader Aaron Gallagher.
The team spent months developing the project through their school’s A.I. club, building a prototype using Google’s Gemini platform and learning coding skills along the way.
“It was really fun and interesting. My teammates helped me a lot with it,” said fifth-grader Emma Connor.
Students admitted the process was challenging at first, but said persistence paid off as they refined their idea.
“It was very difficult at first, but once we found that sweet spot, it all sorted itself out,” said fifth-grader Ryker Cochran.
Teachers say the experience also helped students understand both the possibilities and limitations of artificial intelligence, emphasizing the importance of human oversight.
The Presidential A.I. Challenge is designed to encourage young people to use artificial intelligence responsibly to solve real-world problems. The winning team will receive a $10,000 prize for their school.
