Registration open for NIC AI Hackathon
Posted: Friday, Jan 16, 2026
Join high school and college students, educators, industry professionals and community members in tackling local challenges during the free AI Hackathon from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. Saturday, March 7, at North Idaho College’s Hedlund Building, 420 N. College Drive, Coeur d’Alene.
Attendees will work in teams to design and prototype AI-driven solutions as well as present ideas to industry judges and compete for prizes and recognition. No experience is required. AI tools, guidance and a lunch will be provided.
Register at nic.edu/hackathon/
The event is presented by NIC X-Labs, a mission-driven strategy launched last year that aims to bring regional students, instructors and employers together to drive business innovation through problem solving and applied learning. It is co-organized by the University of Idaho’s Center for Intelligent Industrial Robotics.
“The AI Hackathon is hands-on, team-based, and supportive—perfect if you want to explore AI without feeling overwhelmed,” said NIC Director of Innovation Marita Diffenbaugh. “Using X-Labs as the bridge, this is an opportunity to bring community, industry and education together to brainstorm ideas, learn about AI tools and build solutions.”
Topics can include improving education services, helping the community and making learning easier.
NIC is launching two new courses this spring to complement activities of X-Labs, including Introduction to Robotics and Innovating for the Real World.
For more information about NIC X-Labs, visit nic.edu/x-labs/. Contact Diffenbaugh at Marita.Diffenbaugh@nic.edu for questions on the Hackathon.
Return to Newsroom