Zukeran Fourth Graders Build AI App for Presidential Challenge
OKINAWA, Japan – When Principal Elise Rosch approached me about entering the Presidential AI Challenge, I couldn't have predicted the journey that would follow. Over ten weeks, my 27 fourth graders at Zukeran Elementary School became builders, innovators, and proved that the next generation is ready to solve real problems with emerging technology.
The challenge began with a question: What might the Zones of Regulation look like in the future? My students reimagined the popular learning tool as an accessible, AI-powered application that could provide personalized regulation strategies to any student, anywhere.
The final product, submitted under Track II of the Presidential AI Challenge, features functionality in four languages—English, Spanish, Japanese, and Twi (a Ghanaian language)—alongside accessibility features including low-visibility mode for vision impairment and text-to-speech for students with reading challenges. Students enter their student number, select their current “zone,” and receive tailored strategies like box breathing, guided doodles, or wall pushes. The AI learns from usage patterns, serving up the most frequently chosen strategies.
Our range of perspectives was our greatest strength. When students suggested adding Twi, it demonstrated how students valued ensuring every classmate was included. It also showed every future entrepreneur in that room that with these tools, any demographic is accessible.
The path to success was far from smooth. Students watched as 17 different versions of the app broke, got fixed, broke again, and ultimately came together just in time for submission. I'm not a coder, so I relied on AI tools like Gemini, ChatGPT, and Claude to write the code—demonstrating for students that the willingness to learn matters more than prior expertise.
Students maintained a change log and requested features. I remember them watching the code run on the third version of the app and they were absolutely wowed. One student captured the impact simply: "The new zones strategies made me feel looser and like I could get back to work."
Fifth grade teacher Steven Dutcher served as an early collaborator, helping me think through possibilities. When co-teacher Niessa St. Jean saw what students were building, her reaction summed up the school community's amazement: "You can do that?"
That question cuts to the heart of why this project matters. My students proved that access to AI—even through watching an instructor demonstrate its capabilities—could change the world. The biggest limitation wasn't technology; it was breaking out of conventional thinking about what elementary students can accomplish.
This wasn't just about taking a risk. It was about showing students that if we could dream it, we could build it. Through perseverance, creativity, and a willingness to fail forward, my fourth graders proved that the sky isn't the limit when you're already building the tools to reach it.
