University Innovation Fellows (UIF) - 1st Annual NIC X-Labs Project

The North Idaho College Innovation Fellows (August 2025–March 2026) used human-centered design thinking to transform the siloed MyNIC platform into a searchable, two-way communication hub. By collaborating with industry partners via an AI Think Tank, the team co-designed the March 7 AI Hackathon to bridge the gap between classroom learning and durable workforce skills.

[Placeholder] Expand on the framing: who was affected, what was at stake, and why this challenge made it onto the X-Labs wall.

[Placeholder] Walk through how the team worked the problem: who they talked to, what they assumed and then tested, what they built, and where what they learned made them change course.

Over 25 local industry partners joined for the AI for Industry Think Tank and/or the AI Hackathon. Lobbycast TV provided lunch for the AI Hackathon. More than 60 people participated in the March 7th AI Hackathon, including high school students, college students, community members, and employers. Information from these events is helping inform upcoming NIC courses, such as AI for Everyone.

[Placeholder] Quantify the impact, name the people who used what shipped, and quote the partner saying it mattered.