Alcoa Elementary Students Win National AI Competition
A team of fourth- and fifth-grade students from Alcoa Intermediate School in Blount County, TN, took first place in their age category at the national Presidential AI Challenge finals in Washington, D.C. The students earned the award after developing a conceptual software tool named “Homework Helper,” which is designed to reduce student anxiety by guiding children through problem-solving steps without simply handing them the answers.
The team prepared for the competition with mentorship from Emily Holtz, an assistant professor of elementary education in UT’s College of Education, Health, and Human Sciences, alongside Alcoa teacher Hope McDonald. The students learned foundational concepts about how generative artificial intelligence models function, explored their ethical limitations, and practiced pitching their community-focused technology solution to national judges.
The initiative was supported by AI Tennessee, the statewide initiative led by the University of Tennessee, Knoxville, to expand artificial intelligence education, research, and workforce readiness across K–12 classrooms and higher education institutions in the region.
Why this matters for The Knoxville AI Hub
This national victory demonstrates that artificial intelligence literacy starts well before college or the workplace. For Knoxville-area parents, K–12 teachers, and school administrators, the Alcoa team’s success proves that young students can move beyond being passive consumers of technology to become thoughtful problem solvers who understand both the practical applications and ethical boundaries of modern digital tools.
For more detailed information, you can read the full story here: https://news.utk.edu/2026/06/10/elementary-students-win-national-ai-competition-with-support-from-ut/
