From Appalachia to the Presidential AI Challenge: How Ridgewood Students Are Redefining What’s Possible

We visited Ridgewood High School in West Lafayette, Ohio to check in on one of our pilot AI classes—an experiment that started small, but is already reshaping what students believe they can achieve.

It’s a class of all young women. In the heart of Appalachia. Building real solutions to real community problems.

And they’re proving something important: talent is everywhere. Opportunity is not.

A Classroom That Became a Launchpad

With support from AI OWL and partners including Intel, Ridgewood launched its first AI course earlier this year. It wasn’t a large program. It wasn’t built in a “tech hub.” It began with a small group of curious students willing to try something new.

What they created is Reading Reimagined—a tool designed to help young children improve their reading skills. Students can create stories tailored to their level, teachers can track progress instantly, and the system can generate quizzes and fluency scores automatically.

And now, these students are preparing to submit their project to the Presidential AI Challenge, a national initiative calling on K–12 innovators to use AI to solve real-world problems.

The Real Transformation Happened in Their Mindset

The technology is impressive. But the mindset shift is what stayed with us. These students talked openly about how, at first, the idea of building a tool felt impossible. They weren’t sure where to start. They didn’t see themselves as “tech people.” Many had only seen the fear-driven headlines about AI.

But as they learned:

“This is impossible” became “We can do this”, and eventually “We can build anything.”

Fear turned into curiosity. Hesitation turned into confidence. Possibility became something they could touch.

They learned to collaborate more effectively. They learned to push through setbacks instead of avoiding them. They learned that AI isn't something that replaces their abilities—it's something that expands them.

In their own words: “AI is going to change lives for the better. We just have to use it the right way.”

A Community Taking Notice

Ridgewood isn’t a district that’s typically associated with emerging technology. But that’s exactly why this story matters.

Education is the largest employer in West Lafayette, and once this group demoed Reading Reimagined to local educators, the interest spread quickly. Teachers are already asking how they can bring the tool into their own classrooms. The impact of one small pilot class is rippling outward.

What This Moment Represents

This isn’t just a story about students building a tool. It’s a story about young people discovering what they’re capable of when they’re given:

Access. Support. Permission to experiment.

It’s also a reminder that innovation doesn’t belong to tech hubs or major cities. It belongs to anyone willing to learn, collaborate, and push through uncertainty. The Ridgewood students showed that clearly.

Looking Ahead

As they continue refining their project and prepare their Presidential AI Challenge submission, we’re excited of what this represents for their futures.

They’ve developed skills that will carry into any field they pursue. They’ve built confidence that can’t be taught from a textbook. And they’ve proven that with the right tools, anything is possible.

This is the future of AI fluency in Ohio. Not fear. Not confusion. But capability, creativity, and opportunity—everywhere.

If your school or district is exploring how to bring AI fluency, hands-on creation, or workforce-ready skills to your students, our team would be glad to help.

You can connect with us here to learn what’s possible.