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By: David Harding

Innovation met inspiration as nearly 200 students from across the country—and even virtually from the Dominican Republic—convened at Grand Canyon University (GCU) in Phoenix on April 4–5 for ACSI’s 2025 International Christian STEM Competition and the inaugural Venture Entrepreneurial Innovation Challenge.

From California to Virginia, Colorado to Texas, and even a team from New Jersey—which included a student who had never flown before and another who hadn’t traveled farther west than Pennsylvania—the competition brought together a diverse group of bright, faith-filled minds eager to lean into their purpose, stretch their skills, and honor God with their talents.

“It was a powerful reminder of what happens when faith and innovation come together,” said Tammie Mihet, ACSI Student Leadership & Learning Program Planner. “Students from ACSI schools across the country gathered not only to compete, but to glorify God through their creativity, critical thinking, and collaboration.”

After a live worship session during the opening ceremonies, students heard from Emily Pigott, ACSI VP of Educational Resources & Student Programs, who challenged them to see innovation not as something separate from their faith, but as an expression of it. That message echoed through every challenge they faced.

Each of the competition tasks were designed to stretch students’ ingenuity, test their technical knowledge, and invite them to integrate their faith in meaningful, innovative ways.

In the Social Engineering Challenge, students crafted cybersecurity campaigns to help their school communities protect their digital footprints. The Onsite Design Challenge threw them into a mystery task, where they had to rapidly engineer and build a solution with limited resources and time. Other teams tackled Ethical AI, designing chatbots rooted in Scripture to help teens navigate the digital world with wisdom and integrity.

“Whether designing rocket catchers on the spot, building rescue robots, or pitching entrepreneurial ventures rooted in Scripture,” Pigott shared, “these students demonstrated that innovation, leadership, and faith are not separate pursuits—they are beautifully intertwined.”

In the Aerospace Design Challenge, students created freefall aircrafts to test the limits of engineering and gravity. Meanwhile, the Robot Search and Rescue had teams programming real-life robot “superheroes” to navigate post-disaster obstacle courses.

During the intense competition session, energy radiated from the Grand Canyon Education and Canyon Ventures buildings. Students were laser-focused on their tasks at hand, while they mingled during down times, forming friendships with teens from different schools.

One student from Colorado Springs Christian School said it was encouraging to see others with similar values, while another added that it was also fun to hear different perspectives, showing the uniqueness of each student.

Friday evening brought a shift in pace as Venture Entrepreneurial students rode the tram to the main GCU campus, preparing to pitch their ideas before a panel of judges—including ACSI COO Brett Henry—as part of GCU’s annual business showcase.

“We witnessed a generation of young leaders who love the Lord and lead with integrity, moral character, and servant-hearted teamwork,” Mihet said. “Their passion, purpose, and pursuit of excellence were evident in every challenge, every pitch, and every moment shared.”

Saturday kicked off with Ingenius, a fast-paced trivia game hosted in GCU’s Antelope Gymnasium. Students competed while parents, teachers, and peers cheered from the stands, adding an extra spark of excitement and community to the weekend.

The closing awards ceremony featured keynote speaker Weston Smith, a GCU alumnus whose electric longboard rental business grew into a global longboard manufacturing company that is now building C&C-machined parts for NASA’s 2026 lunar mission. His journey from student startup to space-bound innovation left students buzzing with possibility.

Event faculty then presented awards to the top three finishers in each category, as well as a Servant Leadership Award, GCU/ACSI Choice Award, Character Award, and Engineering Design Notebook Award.

“Watching students step into their God-given calling at the International Christian STEM Competition and Venture Entrepreneurial Challenge was incredibly inspiring,” Pigott said. “It was a powerful reminder that while AI and technology continue to advance, they will never replace the creativity, wisdom, and heart God has placed inside each of these young leaders.”

As the event wrapped up at noon on Saturday, students basked in the warming Arizona sun—tired but joyful. Some teams dashed off to catch flights while others lingered in conversation and reflection. All of them left for home having been stretched, encouraged, and inspired.

With its fourth year now complete and the successful launch of the Venture Entrepreneurial Challenge, the International Christian STEM Competition continues to be a launching pad for future engineers, innovators, and Kingdom-minded leaders—equipped not only with skills, but with a deep desire to glorify God in all they do.