XTERN Challenge is a work-based learning competition where Indiana college students team up to solve a real business problem for a real company.
This fall, fifty students will spend two weeks building a solution with a cross-university team, then bring it to MISO’s Carmel headquarters for two in-person days of mentorship, feedback, and final presentations in front of MISO’s own hiring managers and executives.
Applications open July 31 and close August 24.
Fifty students will be selected to take on one of two business problems facing MISO and the energy industry. You’ll be placed on a cross-university team and given two weeks to collaborate asynchronously with your teammates, then come together at MISO’s headquarters in Carmel for two in-person days to present.
Winning teams split up $10,000 in prize money: $5,000 for first place, $3,000 for second, and $2,000 for third, paid out per team member after the event.
This is an inside look at MISO, and a chance to connect with internship hiring managers and company executives as you prepare your final presentation. Think of the XTERN Challenge as a final-round interview: your performance could lead directly to an internship offer with MISO.
MISO manages the electricity superhighway across the Central U.S., helping ensure reliable power for 45 million people. Its team operates the electric grid, manages a robust energy market and plans for the future of the energy industry through advanced technology and research.
How can MISO use AI to improve accessibility, discoverability, and usability of public data? Build an AI tool that helps users find public data on MISO’s website.
You will need to focus on improving accessibility, discoverability, and usability for end users and design a tool that reduces routine information requests to MISO’s data request and external affairs teams. Your team will have a finished working project at the end of this Challenge.
We are looking for students in:
How should MISO respond to the rapid growth of large energy users across our footprint?
Work with a synthetic dataset of rising energy usage across MISO’s service regions. Analyze trends and patterns and provide your recommendations on how MISO should respond to preserve the energy grid.
You will need to research the energy industry and MISO as an organization to best inform your project. Your team will have completed an in-depth analysis and will provide clear recommendations at the end of this Challenge.
We are looking for students in:
The application goes live — have your resume reviewed by your university’s career office before you submit.
Last day to apply for the MISO XTERN Challenge.
Selected students are placed on cross-university teams and receive all supporting resources — two weeks before the in-person Challenge Days.
Teams collaborate asynchronously, with a few virtual check-ins along the way to learn more about MISO and get feedback on progress.
A full day of in-person team work, plus time to learn about MISO and meet its people. Breakfast and lunch included.
Teams finalize and present to a panel of MISO judges, followed by deliberation and awards. Winning teams are paid via check after the event.
Fifty spots. Up to $10,000 in prize money awarded. Applications close August 24 — apply now with a resume ready to hand to a hiring manager.
This Challenge is not open to international students. Because it’s designed to lead directly to a MISO career opportunity, and MISO cannot sponsor entry-level international hires, students on F-1, J-1, H-1, M-1, or TN visas aren’t eligible to apply. Permanent residents and EAD holders are welcome to apply.
If you’re not a fit for this Challenge, but interested in future opportunities, join our mailing list. You’ll be the first to know about additional opportunities.
TechPoint is excited to partner with MISO on our Fall 2026 Challenge. MISO manages the electricity superhighway in the Central U.S. Through groundbreaking research and advanced technology, their highly skilled employees ensure power flows reliably to 45 million customers. Operating the electricity grid, running a robust energy market, and planning for a bright future — it's what MISO's immensely talented and dedicated team does every day.
In this Challenge, students will be asked to tackle one of two business problems faced by MISO and the energy industry. Students will be placed on cross-university teams and given two weeks to work asynchronously on their prompt with their teammates. Students will then come to MISO's headquarters in Carmel, IN, for a two-day exclusive recruitment experience designed to help them succeed in their final project presentations. Students will get an exclusive look at MISO as a company, network with internship hiring managers, and meet MISO executives. This Challenge is an exclusive final round interview experience that could result in an internship.
The Fall 2026 MISO Challenge Days will take place, in-person, on September 10th & 11th, 2026, at the MISO Carmel offices at 720 City Center Dr, Carmel, IN 46032. Students will be expected to attend virtual check-ins and complete their project between August 28th and September 9th in order to be ready for the MISO Challenge Days.
Full details on each prompt will be provided to student participants once they are selected.
The MISO Challenge is open to undergraduate sophomores and above as well as first-year graduate students. As this is intended to be a recruiting opportunity for MISO, there are not opportunities available for students who will need sponsorship for full-time employment after graduation. If you are an international student, you may apply and be placed on a waitlist for this opportunity.
Ideally, students should:
Applications will open on July 31st and close on August 24th. You can apply directly here.
When you apply, you need to have a polished resume ready to upload. This is a recruitment opportunity — consider every step of this Challenge as part of your interview. Make sure you have your resume reviewed by your university's career office before applying.
You can also check out TechPoint's resume resources.
Good question! Students will be participating on assigned teams. When you apply, you'll self-identify your skills and level of experience. The TechPoint team will assign teams to create a balanced and fair experience that also allows you to network and meet students at other universities.
Teams will be announced by Friday, August 28th which is two weeks before the in-person Challenge dates. The full prompt and resources will be announced on this date as well.
Teams should meet multiple times before the Challenge date and have their work completed before the in-person Challenge Presentation Day. This will require communication, teamwork, and time management skills!
There will be a few virtual sessions planned leading up to the Challenge date to help teams understand MISO, the energy industry, and to offer feedback on project statuses so far.
Excellent question. We do want to reward teams that really excel and creatively address the prompts. This Challenge has two prompts which will all be scored using the same rubric. There is only one set of prizes across all prompts. Choose the prompt to tackle that you feel aligns best with your skillset.
Prizes are:
Winners will be announced on Friday, September 11th, and winning team members will be paid via check after the event.
On Thursday, September 10th, all Challenge participants are required to attend a full day of in-person group work at Carmel MISO Office. There will also be opportunities to learn more about MISO as a company. MISO executives and hiring managers will be onsite to get to know you and your work. Come prepared to get work done on your project, but also to network.
On Friday, September 11th, all Challenge participants are required to attend a full day of in-person group work and presentations at the Carmel MISO Office. You'll have time in the morning to run through your project, test your technology, and then we'll transition into presentations and awards.
Teams are highly encouraged to have most of their project completed before September 10th and use this time to refine your presentation and submissions.
Teams will present to a panel of MISO judges for a maximum of 10 minutes on their primary findings, recommendations based on findings, and methodologies they used.
Judges will deliberate, and then we'll announce and present awards to winning teams at the end of the day.
Breakfast and lunch will be included on both days.
If you need help with transportation to Carmel or need support with housing, please let the TechPoint team know by emailing x@techpoint.org. Housing is limited to those traveling further than 50 miles to attend this Challenge.
Students will be using your own personal equipment and tools that you have access to. Anything you have is fair game, but be prepared to cite your sources and document your methodology. Public APIs, existing data, student/free/paid licenses — all are acceptable to use as long as all participants have reasonably similar access to them.
Using artificial intelligence tools, like LLMs and generative AI, is encouraged and supported. If you get stuck and aren't sure what to try next… why not ask AI for advice? Just remember to be up front about the tools you utilized so that you can highlight where your individual creativity, experience, and ideas made an impact.
Great question! Your resume and team submission will be provided to MISO. They hope to identify talented students for future opportunities at their company… so keep an eye on your email in the weeks following the challenge. You will also be considered an official member of the TechPoint Alumni program. You'll be invited to join our exclusive Discord server, LinkedIn group, and you will receive invitations to events to connect and grow your network with other TechPoint program alumni.
We hope you use this Challenge as an opportunity to meet other students, connect with MISO professionals, and that the work you do can be included in your portfolio and on your resume.
Applications open July 31 and close August 24. A polished resume, ready to hand to a hiring manager, is required. Get it reviewed by your university’s career office before you apply.