Proposed 2026 Plan (all subject to change)

Establish founding partners to develop a pilot program and competition for Fall 2026
- NFCYM
- Archdiocese of Philadelphia - Archbishop Pérez
- Possible Universities
  - Catholic University
  - Georgetown University
  - University of Scranton - Confronting the Ethics of AI Conference, April 16-18, 2026
  - Villanova University
Obtain Fiscal Sponsorship for temporary 501c3
Develop pilot program to test not only the students willingness to participate and compete but also church and parishioners willingness to participate.
Seek seed funding - explore the use of Drexel Project funds and other funding sources.
Establish regional teams for competition - partners might have better ideas
- Philadelphia (Team 1)
  - Parish - Saint Andrew Catholic Church, Newton, PA
  - High School - Conwell-Egan Catholic High School
  - University - Villanova University
- Harrisburg (Team 2)
  - Parish - Saint Catherine Laboure Parish
  - High School - Bishop McDevitt High School
  - University - Catholic University or Georgetown University
- Scranton (Team 3)
  - Parish - Cathedral of Saint Peter - Contact Kyra Krzywicki - Coordinator of Youth Adult Ministry
  - High School - Holy Cross High School
  - University - University of Scranton
Competition begins when school starts and completes the end of October.
Measure successes and impact to position the program for growth and additional funding.
The program, partners, funding sources, 501c3 status, and future of the program will be evaluated and worked on throughout the pilot program.
Possible Funding Sources:
- Humanity AI - People centered AI, democracy, education, labor, economy
- Pivotal - Founded by Melinda French Gates - Advocacy, social and economic progress for women and young people. Ms. Gates was also outspoken about her Catholic faith and how it guides her in her philanthropic efforts in her book The Moment of Lift - How Empowering Women Changes the World.
First Robotics is a great example of what is possible. Dean Kamen is a prolific inventor, entrepreneur, and tireless advocate for science and technology. After founding FIRST in 1989, Dean saw the immediate impact it had on kids from all backgrounds through its exciting sports model and ethos. Today, FIRST reaches more than 100 countries through its three programs for ages 5-18: FIRST® LEGO® League, FIRST® Tech Challenge, and FIRST® Robotics Competition. To expand the work of FIRST and its impact around the world, Dean created the FIRST Global Challenge with the focus on planting a seed in every country to make science and technology available to youth everywhere through Olympics-style competition.