San Diego, CA — September 27, 2025 — The AGI International AI/APP Innovation Challenge proudly celebrated its 2025 Awards Ceremony on the beautiful campus of the University of California, San Diego (UCSD). This global competition is designed to discover, mentor, and showcase the next generation of AI innovators, and it welcomed over 100 registered projects from students in grades 6 through 12 representing Taiwan, Malaysia, Canada, Mexico, the United States, and beyond.
Sponsored by leading U.S. organizations and AI companies, the Challenge has become an international platform where students bring forward creative solutions powered by artificial intelligence and app development to address real-world problems.
Distinguished Guests and Speakers
The reward ceremony was honored by the presence of renowned educators, researchers, and industry experts, including:
- Professor Richard Madsen, Distinguished Professor Emeritus of Sociology at UC San Diego, renowned for his work on Chinese religion, politics, culture, and civil society.
- Dr. Linda, UC San Diego professor and founder/director of OPALS.
- Dr. Yu Meng, Program Director, ArcGen Academy of Programming & AI.
- Dr. Hua Li, pioneering AI leader and Principal Applied Scientist at Amazon.
- Dr. Lingyan Shi, Associate Professor in the Shu Chien-Gene Lay Department of Bioengineering at UC San Diego.
- Charlies Wang, founder of EquaLearning and co-founder of PQAIRE.com.
Student Achievements
The competition highlighted the ingenuity of young innovators with projects spanning healthcare, education, sustainability, and social impact. Winners included:
Senior High Division Award:
Gold Award: Navis; Agriconnect; Affordable Parking For All (APFA); AI for Elders
Silver Award: Rufan Yin(individual); United Adolescents Revising Education (TUARE); Young and Young;Ctrl + Alt + Create; Janie Zheng(individual)
Bronze Award: Mindlink;Animal Reunion; InnerAlert
Junior High Division Award:
Gold Award: CogniCare
Silver Award: Rescue Hero
Bronze Award: Ecoride
International Participation
Highlighting the truly global nature of the Challenge, the Taiwan branch contributed by sending a special Vlog of the reward ceremony, connecting international participants and celebrating student achievements across borders. This virtual participation underscored the event’s mission of fostering multicultural collaboration and ensuring that young innovators worldwide could share in the celebration.
Spotlight on ESC Club
A special highlight of the event was the recognition of the ESC Club, the sole student club that has supported the San Diego APP competition for the past two years. The club has been instrumental in providing community support to families from Latino cultural backgrounds, ensuring equal opportunities for STEM education.
ESC Club offers summer and winter break virtual or in person fundamental coding classes for students in the United States, Mexico, and Taiwan. Through this work, they have built cross-border connections and expanded access to STEM learning for youth who might otherwise be left behind.
As part of this year’s ceremony, across boarder from Mexico Tijuana , Mr. Jeff Macías, owner of CWB K–12 Private School and founder of Angels of Hope – Children Without Borders, presented the Community Impact Awards with Cal America Education Institute CEO, Mrs. Wei, Zhaomin from Los Angeles to six members of the ESC Club. These students were honored for their dedication to supporting Mexican-American and at-risk youth, helping them access quality education, unlock their potential, and build brighter futures without limits.
A Global Stage for Future Leaders
The 2025 Challenge reaffirmed its mission to provide a platform for students to grow as innovators, collaborate across borders, and present groundbreaking AI-driven solutions to global challenges. With its diverse participation and strong mentorship from academic and industry leaders, the event continues to nurture the next generation of changemakers in science, technology, and education.
