Engineering Changes the World

 “Engineering Changes the World” AIGC Challenge, a national-level program, as part of an Engineering Month campaign leading up to the AAEOY Awards Celebration on September 19, 2026. Through public engagement and AI-powered storytelling, the goal is to build awareness, excitement, and momentum for the AAEOY celebration while inspiring participants to explore, appreciate, and communicate how engineering innovations have transformed our world and continue to improve lives.

I.  Competition Overview

• Mission
  Inspire people of all ages to discover how engineering has transformed human civilization and how emerging AI technologies can accelerate learning, foster creativity, support innovation, and help communicate the stories and ideas that shape our world. 

• Theme: Engineering Changes the World
  A National AI-Powered Engineering Showcase Video Competition in Celebration of Innovation Excellence and AAEOY.

• Competition Timeline
   Registration: June 27 – July 27, 2026
  Early Bird Deadline: July 20, 2026 
  Submission Deadline: August 3, 2026 (11:59 PM PDT)
  Finalists Announced: August 17, 2026 (11:59 PM PDT)
  Online Exhibition and Public Engagement: August 22 – September 19. 2026
  Awards Ceremony*: September 19, 2026
  

II. Eligibility

• The competition is open to both youth and adult participants.
• Participants may enter:
  o   Individually, or
  o   As a team up to three members
  

III. Divisions

• Division I – Students
      I-1. Middle School (6–8)
      I-2. High School (9–12)
• Division II – College Students
      Current full time Undergraduate and Graduate students
• Division III – Adults
      Adults Applicants

III. Registration

• Early Bird Registration: $10 per team (through July 20, 2026)
• Regular Registration: $15 per team (July 21–27, 2026)
• Registration fees are non-refundable.
• Participants must complete the online registration form before the registration deadline.

Click Here to register this event.

IV. Submission Requirements

• Original Work – The submission must be the original work of the participant(s) and comply with all copyright, intellectual property, and content usage requirements.
• AI-Generated Content: Utilize AI tools for video creation. 
• Video Length Requirements
  o   Division I: 2–3 minutes
  o   Divisions II & III: 3–5 minutes

• Entries must be submitted in the required video format by the published deadline and include a brief project description outlining.
• Please check on submission form or this link for more detail.

For questions, please contact: aigc@cie-usa.net

V. Official Rules

• Originality Matters – All submissions must be substantially original work created by the participant(s). Plagiarism or unauthorized use of copyrighted materials is prohibited.
• Responsible Use of AI – Generative AI tools are encouraged; however, participants are responsible for ensuring that all AI-generated content complies with applicable copyright and intellectual property laws.
• Appropriate Content Only – Submissions must be suitable for a general educational audience and must not contain offensive, discriminatory, unlawful, or inappropriate content.
• Organizer Rights – By entering the contest, participants grant the organizers permission to display, promote, and showcase submitted works for contest, educational, and promotional purposes while retaining ownership of their original work.
• Please check Official Rules on submission form or this link for more detail.

VI. Judging & Evaluation

VII. Awards & Recognition

• Distinguished Awards
  o   Engineering Mindset Award
  o   Film Innovation Award
  o   Most Popular Award

• Division Awards
  o   First Place
  o   Second Place
  o   Third Place

For additional information and answers to frequently asked questions, please refer to the Q&A document available here.

* The Awards Ceremony will take place during the AAEOY Celebration: https://aaeoy.org/ 
** Disclaimer: This video is AI-generated for educational and non-commercial purposes. Any depiction of public figures is intended solely for commentary, inspiration, and informational storytelling. 

Welcome our AAEOY Sponsors

To complete your company’s sponsorship, please follow the steps below:

1. Please complete the AAEOY Sponsorship Form and e-mail it to sponsorship@aaeoy.org and cc Dr. An-Yu Kuo at anyukuo@gmail.com by March 16, 2026.
   
   For Electronic Fund Transfer, please send the request to sponsorship@aaeoy.org. We will contact you for the bank information.
   To mail a check payable to AAEOY, please contact us at sponsorship@aaeoy.org, and the mailing address will be provided.
   AAEOY is a 501(c) (3) organization. Please email us at sponsorship@aaeoy.org for TAX ID.
   
   
2. Please submit the following company or organization information to sponsorship@aaeoy.org and cc Dr. An-Yu Kuo at anyukuo@gmail.com by May 15, 2026:
   
   Company profile and/or website address. Company logo (PDF, TIF or JPG format, at 600 dpi or better).
   A paragraph-long description of the company to be used for introduction during the ceremony.
   A 2-minute maximum, high-resolution company profile video to be shown at the award ceremony.
   Name/phone number/e-mail address of the company representative who is responsible for this submission.
   If you have a company promotion page in the program book, please provide camera-ready artwork per the following specifications:
   Half Page Ad – Size 8” x 5” (No bleed) or Full-Page Ad – 8” x 10-1/2” (No bleed) Format: PDF, TIF or JPG (600 dpi or better resolution)
   

 

 

Greetings! On behalf of the Asian American Engineer of the Year (AAEOY) committee and the Chinese Institute of Engineers/USA (CIE/USA), we cordially invite you to the 2025-2026 AAEOY Award & Conference, which will take place at Santa Clara Convention Center on September 18-19, 2026.

Established in 2002, AAEOY is a premier national event dedicated to recognizing and honoring outstanding Asian American professionals in Engineering and Science for their technical and scientific achievements, leadership, and public service. Over the years, hundreds of Asian American professionals from leading US corporations, prestigious research institutions, and the US Armed Forces have been honored with these prestigious AAEOY Awards. In addition, the “Distinguished Awards” celebrate Asian Americans who made global influences, with past recipients including Nobel Laureates, scholars, academic leaders, corporate executives, and astronauts. For more information about AAEOY, please visit www.aaeoy.org.

The 2025-2026 AAEOY will feature a diverse range of activities, including a conference, technical and cultural tours, a pre‐award dinner, a VIP networking reception, company talent acquisition and recruiting events, exhibition opportunities, and a delightful gala banquet to celebrate and recognize the achievements of the awardees. With your support, we aim to make the 2025-2026 AAEOY a memorable event that honors the achievements of the nation’s influential minds. By recognizing you and your organization’s profound influence, we invite you to consider sponsoring AAEOY to help us continue providing high-quality services and activities to our community. To assist you in choosing a sponsorship level, we have attached the sponsorship and nomination package for your review.

Founded in 1917, the Chinese Institute of Engineers/USA (CIE/USA) is a non‐profit professional organization of Chinese American engineers, scientists, and other professionals. The mission of CIE/USA is to promote Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics (STEM) across all communities and to recognize Asian American professionals at the national level through flagship platforms such as AAEOY. Today, CIE/USA operates seven chapters across the United States, fostering the exchange of information among engineering, academia, and business.

Thank you in advance for your support and contribution to AAEOY. We look forward to your participation in the 2025-2026 AAEOY Award Ceremony and Banquet. Please do not hesitate to contact us if you have any questions.

Raymond Y. Chen
AAEOY National Council Chair

Tony Liu
Executive Committee Chair

Zee Zhai
Executive Committee Co-Chair