CALL FOR AI CHALLENGE SUBMISSIONS

The CSU Summer AI Camp is seeking impactful challenge submissions from campus leadership, staff, and administrators across the CSU system.

The camp is structured as a five-day, Learn by Doing hackathon, where 50 students from throughout the 23-campus California State University system will receive a no-cost immersive experience learning and applying AI technical basics to real world challenges. The camp will end with team pitches of the solutions they have developed against the challenges selected. The demonstrated solutions each has developed will help pave the way for potential implementation across CSU campuses.

Your proposal will be reviewed by DXHub staff from Cal Poly and AWS. If not selected for summer camp, we will still follow up on ways to move your proposal forward.

CLICK HERE TO SUBMIT A CHALLENGE

What We Provide

Participating in the CSU Summer AI Camp offers a unique opportunity to gain innovative solutions tailored to your campus’s pressing challenges. By submitting a challenge, your campus can lead the way in shaping the future of higher education, engage directly with skilled and motivated student developers, and help unlock solutions with the potential for systemwide implementation. This initiative not only advances CSU’s collective AI capabilities but also empowers students through hands-on learning with real world problems, fostering a culture of innovation, collaboration, and impact across the CSU community.

What You Provide

  • 1 hour recorded interviews with subject matter experts on problem/opportunity definition
  • 1 hour recorded interviews with data/
    technical experts on the problem/
    opportunity
  • Relevant data samples that are non-sensitive, desensitized, synthetic, or mock
  • 2-4 hours of mentorship (virtual or inperson) to student teams during the weeklong camp

Call for Campus Challenges

Deadline to Submit

  • Submission Deadline: June 11
  • Challenge Selection Notification: June 25
  • AI Camp Dates: July 28 – Aug. 1
  • Late Submissions Email Us: dxhub@calpoly.edu

Who Should Submit

  • Campus administrators
  • Department heads
  • Faculty members
  • IT staff
  • Student services professionals
  • Operations managers
  • Academic program directors

What We're Looking For

We seek real-world challenges that could
benefit from AI solutions in areas such as:
Student success and retention

  • Administrative efficiency
  • Campus operations
  • Academic support services
  • Resource allocation
  • Student services
  • Accessibility improvements
  • Sustainability initiatives

Submission Guideline

1. PROBLEM DEFINITION

What specific challenge or opportunity
are you addressing?

  • Who are the primary stakeholders
    affected?
  • What is the current process or
    situation?
  • What are the pain points or limitations of the current approach?
  • What is the scale of impact (number of users/departments affected)?

2. DESIRED OUTCOMES

What does success look like?

  • What specific metrics would measure
    success?
  • What would be the immediate
    benefits?
  • What would be the long-term impact?
  • Are there any specific constraints or
    requirements?

3. DATA CONSIDERATIONS

What data sources are relevant to this
challenge?

  • Is the necessary data currently
    available?
  • What is the format of the available data?
  • Are there any privacy considerations?
  • What data cleaning or preparation
    would be needed?

4. TECHNICAL INTEGRATION

What existing systems would need to
be considered?

  • Are there specific platforms or tools
    currently in use?
  • What are the integration requirements?
  • Are there any technical constraints?
  • What security considerations should be
    addressed?

5. IMPLEMENTATION CONTEXT

What resources would be available for
implementation?

  • Who would maintain the solution?
  • What approvals would be needed
  • What is the desired timeline for
    implementation?
  • Are there any budget considerations?

6. SELECTION CRITERIA

Challenges will be evaluated based on:

1. Potential impact
2. Feasibility within hackathon timeframe
3. Data availability and accessibility
4. Technical scope appropriateness
5. Potential for cross-campus application
6. Clarity of success metrics