50 Students Set to Participate in Xtern Challenge at MISO, September 10-11
Students from 15 colleges and universities will tackle real-world energy industry challenges and compete for up to $10,000 in prizes
INDIANAPOLIS — September 9, 2026 — The in-person portion of the 2026 MISO Xtern Challenge kicks off Thursday, September 10, bringing a cohort of 50 college students to MISO’s Carmel headquarters for two days of project work, mentorship, networking and competition.
Hosted by TechPoint and MISO (Midcontinent Independent System Operator), Xtern Challenge is a work-based learning competition that gives college students the opportunity to solve business problems developed by Indiana employers. Students work in cross-university teams, receive feedback from industry professionals and ultimately present their solutions to company leaders.
For this year’s MISO Challenge, students were organized into 10 teams and given approximately two weeks to begin developing solutions virtually. Teams are tackling one of two challenges facing MISO and the energy industry: building an AI-powered tool to make MISO’s public information easier to find and use or analyzing the impact of rapidly growing energy demand from large electricity users and recommending strategies that preserve grid reliability.
The participating cohort represents 15 colleges and universities: Ball State University, Butler University, Franklin College, Indiana University Bloomington, Indiana University Indianapolis, Iowa State University, Marian University, Northwestern University, Purdue University, Purdue University in Indianapolis, Rose-Hulman Institute of Technology, Texas State University, University at Buffalo, University of Indianapolis and University of Minnesota Twin Cities.
Students also bring a range of academic backgrounds to their teams. Computer science and data-related fields are heavily represented, alongside electrical engineering, informatics, mathematics, statistics, business analytics, information systems, cybersecurity and other disciplines. Several students are combining technical studies with areas including business administration, entrepreneurship, supply chain management and communication.
On Thursday, students will continue developing their projects with access to MISO mentors while also touring the facility and meeting hiring managers from across the organization. Friday begins with an executive panel before teams finalize their work and present their solutions to a panel of judges. The Challenge concludes Friday afternoon with an awards ceremony, with the top three teams sharing up to $10,000 in prize money.
The experience is designed to give students an opportunity to apply their skills in a professional setting while building the collaboration, communication and problem-solving experience employers increasingly value. It also gives MISO leaders and hiring managers an opportunity to connect directly with emerging talent and consider participants for future internship opportunities.