The ultimate proving ground for top student talent.
Hands-on learning opportunities that promote peer and professional networking, in a competition-based environment.
Hands-on learning opportunities that promote peer and professional networking, in a competition-based environment.
Launching in Fall 2025, the Xtern Challenge is a series of hackathons, design sprints, and case competitions where students collaborate on real-world business problems designed by Indiana companies and work alongside industry mentors.
These events give students a chance to apply their classroom knowledge to practical challenges while learning new tools, gaining feedback from professionals, and building their experience to help them land their next opportunity in tech.
Each challenge is a unique opportunity for students to develop their skills, allow them to network with other college students and industry professionals, and compete to earn cash prizes with their team.
Students will work collaboratively in teams to solve a challenge. Teams will be designed by TechPoint staff to ensure balanced skillsets and education levels. You cannot request teammates—part of the experience is getting to know other students!
You must be currently enrolled at an Indiana university in either an undergraduate or graduate level. If an undergraduate, you must be a sophomore or above to participate. There are limited spots for international students available. You must be nominated by your school in order to participate.
Date: October 10, 2025
In this Challenge, students will be asked to use their data skills to analyze online sentiment to help predict upcoming policy changes that will impact the energy industry. Full details on the prompt will be provided to student participants closer to the Challenge date.
Ideal Xtern Challenge participants are:
1. Comfortable working in Python
2. Interested in cloud tools (e.g., Azure, AWS, GCP) and natural language processing
3. Curiosity about policy, strategy, and game theory in the energy/utility space
4. Upperclassmen or graduate students in data science, computer science, statistics, mathematics, or economics
MISO manages the electricity superhighway in the central United States. 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.
Being an Xtern Challenge partner gives your organization direct access and exposure to in-demand talent. It’s an invaluable opportunity to promote your brand and industry to higher education institutions across the state. And you’ll have a team at TechPoint to support you at every step of the way.
Xtern Challenge Partners are Indiana companies interested in supporting the next generation of tech talent in Indiana. You’ll co-design the prompt, deliverables, and format of the Challenge alongside the TechPoint team to ensure this event fits your business problem. We’ll work with you on all event logistics, marketing and branding needs, and recruit students who fit the needs of your organization to participate.
We know you have amazing students at your institutions—and we need your help to invite them to participate in our next Challenge.
Join the TechPoint higher education mailing list by clicking below. We’ll share information with your institution when we’re ready to invite you to nominate students to compete in the next Challenge.
Our team will then reach out directly to nominated students and invite them to complete our full application.
Benefits for student participants: