Local sixth-graders win state AI title; advance to regional Presidential AI Challenge
Anaika Sehgal and Arshiya Mansingh, sixth-graders at Francis Granger Middle School in Aurora, have been named 2026 Illinois State Champions in the Presidential AI Challenge. Their winning project, Project SENTINEL, has earned them a spot in the upcoming regional competition.
The Presidential AI Challenge is a national initiative that encourages students to explore artificial intelligence through real-world problem solving, innovation, and responsible design.
As Illinois state winners, the team will now compete at the regional level. Top-performing teams will advance to the national stage, where finalists may be invited to present their work in Washington, D.C., at national showcase events associated with the White House. This year, over 500 students have been named state champions. Twenty-five students from Illinois will be competing in the regional competition.
Developed under the supervision of Ashutosh Sehgal, the project introduces a student-designed AI ecosystem aimed at solving the “Chaos Gap” in middle school classrooms.
Project SENTINEL, which stands for Student Engagement, Notification, & Intelligent Network for Enhanced Learning, acts as “Invisible Infrastructure” to manage the classroom environment.
Unlike traditional educational technology that focuses on grading, SENTINEL focuses on the social and logistical temperature of the room so that teachers can focus on instruction.
“Management is the enemy of discovery,” says the SENTINEL team. “We wanted to build something that helps students move from being supervised to managing their own work independently.”
The system is built on three integrated AI pillars:
• Adaptive Harmony Mode: Uses edge-computing audio sensors to distinguish between productive collaboration and disruptive chaos, providing visual cues for student self-regulation.
• Predictive Pacer AI: A centralized hub that breaks down large projects into manageable “micro-steps” to support executive function.
• Digital Co-Pilot: An AI-driven briefing system that provides substitute teachers with “Vibe Reports” to maintain classroom culture during a lead teacher's absence.
A core requirement of Project SENTINEL is its Privacy-by-Design architecture. Using edge computing, all sound is processed locally and converted into anonymized numbers; no raw audio is ever recorded, stored, or sent to the cloud.
The impact of SENTINEL is measurable, with a projected 20% recovery of instructional time and a 50% reduction in discipline referrals during substitute teaching days.
In a letter from Granger Elementary principal Allan Davenport, he told the team: “Project SENTINEL is such a thoughtful and impressive idea. The way you recognized a real challenge students face and created a meaningful solution shows not only innovation, but also a genuine care for others and your school community.”