3 Hawaii Teachers Reach Top 40 in Presidential AI Challenge With Statewide Program
Updated
Updated · Hawaii News Now · Jun 20
3 Hawaii Teachers Reach Top 40 in Presidential AI Challenge With Statewide Program
1 articles · Updated · Hawaii News Now · Jun 20
Summary
Three Hawaii teachers returned from Washington as national finalists after their educator entry advanced into the Presidential AI Challenge’s top 40 out of 2,500 projects from all 50 states.
Their Global Innovation Race Hawaii model spread to two-thirds of Hawaii public high schools, steering students to use AI responsibly on community problems rather than focusing mainly on technical skills.
Three student projects also won regional awards: a deepfake detector for kupuna, an AI fire-monitoring system inspired by the Lahaina fires, and an anti-bullying tool using voice recognition.
Students from multiple islands built the projects after listening tours with community members, while the teachers ran office hours and linked teams with industry professionals.
The challenge followed an April 2025 executive order on AI education, and the finalists’ week in Washington included visits to Microsoft and Amazon and a White House reception hosted by Melania Trump.
Could student-built AI outperform government technology in predicting disasters like the Lahaina fires?
As AI enters every classroom, can schools protect student privacy while still fostering necessary tech skills?
Is teaching AI with empathy, not just code, the key to building a responsible technological future?
Hawaii Sets National Benchmark: “Global Innovation Race” AI Program Reaches 2/3 of High Schools, Finalist in 2026 Presidential Challenge
Overview
In 2026, three Hawaii teachers—Kawika Gonzales, Leah Aiwohi, and Chloe Sato—were named national finalists in the Presidential AI Challenge, representing the entire western U.S. region. Their program, 'Global Innovation Race Hawaii,' was selected as one of the Top 40 national finalists from over 2,500 entries, recognized for its exceptional quality and unique approach to AI literacy. This achievement highlights their pioneering work in artificial intelligence education and showcases Hawaii’s leadership in integrating innovative, ethical AI learning into schools, as part of a major national initiative established by President Donald J. Trump.