There’s a groundbreaking national initiative inviting high school students and teachers to tackle real-world problems using artificial intelligence — and drones can play a leading role. The Presidential AI Challenge is a White House-endorsed program encouraging K–12 youth and educators to create AI-driven solutions that benefit their schools and communities. In this post, we’ll explore the challenge, how to participate, and how high school classrooms can leverage the DroneBlocks DEXI drone to build cutting-edge, AI-powered projects. Plus, we’ll share sample project ideas that bring AI and drones together in powerful and meaningful ways.

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What is the Presidential AI Challenge?

The Presidential AI Challenge is a national competition designed to spark curiosity and creativity around artificial intelligence. It encourages students to identify local or global problems and apply AI to solve them — while also offering teachers the chance to showcase how AI can enhance learning in their classrooms.

Goals of the Challenge:

• Empower students with AI skills through hands-on learning
• Support educators in teaching and using AI effectively
• Encourage community-based problem solving
• Recognize innovative work at local, regional, and national levels

It’s not just about competition — it’s about building confidence and real-world skills through collaboration, creativity, and technology.

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Who Can Participate?

Any K–12 student team or teacher in the United States can join. High school teams can include up to four students (grades 9–12) and must be supported by an adult advisor — typically a teacher or STEM mentor. No advanced coding experience is necessary — just an interest in problem-solving and a desire to learn!

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How to Participate (A Teacher-Friendly Overview)

1. Form a Team:
   Work with up to four high school students and sign on as their mentor. You’ll help guide the process and manage the final submission.
2. Register Online:
   Head over to the official challenge website to register. You’ll gain access to key dates, resources, and submission guidelines.
3. Choose a Community Problem to Solve:
   Work with students to brainstorm a challenge in your school or neighborhood that could benefit from an AI-powered solution. Think safety, sustainability, accessibility, or education.
4. Develop Your Solution:
   Use tools like Python, AI libraries, and platforms like DroneBlocks and the DEXI drone to create a concept or prototype. Students should build a project that integrates an AI method or tool.
5. Create a Submission:

• A written narrative (at least 500 words)
• A link to a video or slideshow showing the project in action
• Any required consent and originality forms

6. Submit by January 20, 2026: All eligible submissions will receive a Presidential Certificate of Participation — a powerful recognition for students and educators alike.
7. (Optional) Enter the Competition Track: Teams can compete at the state, regional, and national levels for additional recognition and prizes.

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Why Use DEXI and DroneBlocks for the AI Challenge?

Meet the DEXI Drone

The DEXI-5 PX4 STEM Drone Kit is a classroom-ready, AI-powered drone that students build and code themselves. Unlike hobby drones, DEXI is designed for education — giving students experience with engineering, autonomous flight, computer vision, and Python programming.

DEXI Highlights:

• PX4 flight controller for advanced autonomous flight
• Raspberry Pi onboard for local processing and AI models
• Programmable with DroneBlocks Blockly or Python
• Supports sensors, payloads, and AI integration (e.g., OpenCV)
• Perfect for indoor or outdoor testing

By integrating DEXI, students aren’t just learning about AI — they’re building and flying a drone that uses AI to solve real problems.

DroneBlocks Curriculum & Support

DroneBlocks provides an intuitive platform, pre-built modules, and a comprehensive curriculum that walks students through real-world applications. Teachers receive lesson plans, simulations, and guidance — no drone or AI experience required!

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Sample AI Drone Project Ideas for the Presidential AI Challenge

These project ideas are designed to align with the goals of the Presidential AI Challenge, each encouraging high school students to apply artificial intelligence to real-world problems while using drones in creative, hands-on ways.

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1. AI-Powered Disaster Relief Drone

Design a drone that can assist emergency responders by flying over disaster zones and identifying people, damaged infrastructure, or blocked roads using AI-based object detection. This project promotes community resilience and teaches how technology can support crisis response.

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2. Environmental Monitoring Bot

Use the DEXI drone to monitor local parks, schoolyards, or waterways for pollution, deforestation, or plant health issues. Students can train an AI model to detect litter, erosion, or stressed vegetation — turning their drone into a flying environmental scientist.

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3. School Traffic Safety Assistant

Develop a drone that monitors drop-off and pick-up zones around schools to detect traffic flow issues or unsafe pedestrian behavior. Students can apply AI to analyze vehicle patterns and recommend improvements to make their school community safer.

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4. Campus Patrol & Safety Drone

Create a drone that performs autonomous patrols after hours and uses AI to detect unexpected movement or trespassers. This could support school safety initiatives while teaching students about security, automation, and ethics in AI use.

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5. Smart Agriculture & Garden Drone

Program a drone to fly over a school garden or local farm to assess crop health using AI image analysis. Students can explore how drones and AI can support sustainable agriculture — a growing career field with strong STEM connections.

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6. Drone Tour Guide with Vision AI

Create an AI-enhanced drone that recognizes landmarks or points of interest and delivers guided narration or visuals. This project can turn a drone into a flying tour guide, great for promoting school culture or sharing community history.

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Ready to Get Involved?

The Presidential AI Challenge is a golden opportunity to launch your students into the world of AI and robotics — and DEXI drones are the perfect platform to bring their ideas to life.

Want to explore how to bring DEXI drones and AI into your school? Schedule a free call with the DroneBlocks team to learn more, get your questions answered, and get started.

Let’s inspire the next generation of AI leaders — one drone flight at a time.