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A McLean High School ninth grader took the grand prize in a Fairfax County competition that challenged more than 1,100 students to build artificial intelligence tools addressing real-world problems.

Emmanuel Beakal won the Seize the Moment Student AI Innovation Challenge with MyCompass, an AI-powered bot designed to provide cognitive behavioral therapy and dialectical behavior therapy. He received a $1,000 Amazon gift card funded through a grant.

“I learned from the Seize the Moment AI Challenge that AI can actually be used for good,” Emmanuel said. “We can use AI to have a meaningful impact on our world today.”

Students from 25 Fairfax County Public Schools high schools participated in the challenge. On Tuesday, February 17, 2026, the highest-placing teams showcased their projects for families and community leaders at Herndon High School.

The students created custom apps with Playlab, a sandboxed AI education platform. Their projects explored subjects including mental health support, government policy and assistance for international students adjusting to a new school.

The program was organized through a partnership involving the FCPS Department of Information Technology, Amazon and Playlab. Before building their projects, students completed eight to 10 hours of training with support from 49 campus coaches.

The competition concluded with a “Shark Tank”-style pitch session in which five finalist teams presented to judges representing FCPS, the Virginia Department of Education, OpenAI and Amazon. Judges evaluated each project’s potential impact, technical execution, storytelling and responsible use of AI.

During her keynote address, FCPS Superintendent Dr. Michelle Reid described the competition as part of a broader change in how people use technology. She highlighted “vibe-coding,” the practice of building software through natural-language instructions, as a way to make innovation more accessible.

FCPS Chief Information Technology Officer Gautam Sethi said the controlled environment was intended to make AI tools easier for students to understand while encouraging them to tackle challenges in their schools and communities. The effort also supports Goal 5 of the FCPS 2023-30 Strategic Plan, which focuses on preparing for future innovation.