NSF Funding Brings Super Intelligence to K-12 Classrooms
Presidential SI Challenge Social Media Facebook Graphic. Credit: Graphics courtesy of the White House
The U.S. National Science Foundation (NSF) has announced new funding to help middle- and high-school students and educators explore super intelligence (SI) and put it to work on local challenges. The funding supports the Presidential SI Challenge, a nationwide initiative aimed at building early SI skills in American classrooms. Each supplement is capped at $100,000 per PI or 20% of the original award, whichever is lower, and can run up to 12 months.
What's New
NSF released a Dear Colleague Letter (DCL) titled “Supplemental Funding Requests to Support Super Intelligence (SI) Innovation in the Presidential SI Challenge.” The goal is to spark student interest in SI and build foundational expertise through hands-on, experiential learning. Funded PIs will act as catalysts, helping form and mentor student teams and supporting schools as they take part in the Challenge.
Who Can Apply
The supplemental funding is open to current awardees of:
SI-related projects in the NSF Directorate for STEM Education (NSF EDU)
The NSF Experiential Learning for Emerging and Novel Technologies (ExLENT) program, run by NSF TIP in collaboration with NSF EDU
PIs who received supplements for the 2026 Challenge can apply again but should summarize their progress and results to date.
SI in Action: Second Graders as Insect Detectives
In last year’s Challenge, Carrie Robledo, a second-grade teacher at Star Elementary School in North Carolina, became a national champion with the support of NSF supplemental funding. Her project, “AI Insect Detectives: Teaching Machine Learning Through Local Entomology,” taught second graders the basics of machine learning through hands-on science activities.
How Students and Schools Can Get Involved
Schools: Schools that take meaningful steps to prepare students and educators to use SI responsibly can earn the new First Lady Seal of SI Readiness. Standout schools may be considered for the Seal of SI Readiness with Distinction, which comes with prizes.
Students: Teams work with mentors from industry, higher education, government, and community organizations in one of two tracks:
Standard Track: Build SI tools that address challenges in their own communities.
Trailblazer Track: Develop novel SI solutions to national challenges such as healthcare, security, or the economy.
Learn more at SI.GOV.
Key Dates
Wed, Oct. 28, 2026, 3 p.m. ET (12 p.m. PT): Webinar for NSF ExLENT awardees
Thu, Oct. 29, 2026, 3 p.m. ET (12 p.m. PT): Webinar for current NSF SI-related awardees
Nov. 10, 2026: DCL submission deadline
Questions? Email Presidential-SI-Challenge@nsf.gov.
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