Community College Innovation Challenge

Community College Innovation Challenge (CCIC)
Advancing Student Innovation & Impact

Check out a video on the CCIC here.

The Community College Innovation Challenge (CCIC) is led by the American Association of Community Colleges (AACC) in partnership with the National Science Foundation (NSF). It is a national competition where community college student teams, working with a faculty or administrator mentor, use science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) to innovate solutions to real-world problems; participate in an Innovation Boot Camp; and compete for cash awards.

AACC is pleased to announce that planning is underway to hold the Innovation Boot Camp in Washington, D.C. on June 8-11, 2026—and full travel support will be provided to the finalist teams to attend.

The Boot Camp provides professional development, mentoring, and coaching designed to build strategic communication and entrepreneurial skills to help students advance their innovations in both the private and public sectors. The event culminates in a poster session and engagement opportunity with STEM leaders and Congressional stakeholders, and a pitch presentation in front of a panel of industry and entrepreneurial professionals to determine the first, second, and third place winning teams.

The national CCIC is designed to enable community college students to discover and demonstrate their capacity to use STEM to make a difference in the world and to translate that knowledge into action.

AACC is pleased to announce the 12 finalist teams selected for this year’s competition.

  • De Anza College (California)
    Project: The Micro-Buoy
  • Henry Ford College (Michigan)         
    Project: SuClara – Intelligent Water, Tailored to You

  • Hudson County Community College (New Jersey)
    Project: Hybrid Immersion Cooling for Long-Term AI Sustainability
  • Pasadena City College (California)
    Project: Cortexa – Brain Powered Art
  • Passaic County Community College (New Jersey)
    Project: Transforming Roads with Fly Ash – A Sustainable Future
  • Pellissippi State Community College (Tennessee)
    Project: 3D Modeling Accessibility for Visually Impaired Students
  • Perimeter College at Georgia State University (Georgia)
    Project: Enhanced Drain Obstruction Prevention (EDOP)
  • San Jacinto College (Texas)
    Project: TrustLine- Helping Seniors Stay Safe from Digital Scams

  • Shawnee Community College (Illinois)
    Project: GroundTruth – Predicting Food Desert Risk Before It Happens
  • Springfield Technical Community College (Massachusetts)
    Project: HydroShield
  • SUNY Broome Community College (New York)
    Project: Hands-On Quantum Education
  • Wake Technical Community College (North Carolina)
    Project: GridGuardAI – Predicting Failure Before It Happens

To view the press release for the CCIC finalist teams, click here.