Skip to main content

2026 Ivy Tech IT Challenge

2026 Ivy Tech IT Challenge

The School of Information Technology at Ivy Tech Community College, in partnership with TechPoint, is proud to host the 2026 Statewide IT Challenge. It's a high-energy, one-day competition where Indiana's college students team up to solve real industry problems and showcase their skills to employers in Indiana.

The IT Challenge - At a Glance

The 2026 IT Challenge is hosted by the School of Information Technology at Ivy Tech Community College, in partnership with TechPoint.

Team Challenges

Participate in 4 Discipline Challenges, plus a chance to qualify for the Interdisciplinary Championship Challenge.

Technical Proficiency

Apply the skills from your program of study to a scoped, real-world challenge.

Collaborative Problem-solving

Compete on cross-university teams blending experience levels and majors.

Industry Connections

Meet the employers and industry leaders shaping Indiana's tech ecosystem.

Event Information

Date: Friday, November 20, 2026
Time: 8 a.m. - 5 p.m.
Location: TBD
Contact: statewide-ITProgramInfo@ivytech.edu

Register Now

About the Challenge

The IT Challenge is an immersive, full-day competition designed to elevate Indiana's emerging tech talent. Students from Ivy Tech and four-year colleges and universities across the state come together in a fast-paced environment where collaboration, critical thinking, and technical skill take center stage. The day features four discipline-specific team challenges alongside one interdisciplinary championship challenge, highlighting both deep technical proficiency and the collaborative problem-solving that tech careers demand. Throughout the event, IT faculty, campus advisory board members, and industry leaders serve as judges and mentors, working shoulder to shoulder with students and gaining a firsthand look at the talent entering Indiana's workforce.

Helpful Information

Apply Your Learning

Compete on a balanced, cross-university team in one of four discipline tracks, solving a real, employer-designed challenge.

Showcase Your Skills

Put your talent in front of potential employers and industry leaders who are actively building their teams and looking for interns and new hires.

Network Statewide

Connect with IT professionals, employers, faculty, and peers from colleges and universities across Indiana.

Win and Advance

Earn recognition in your discipline track and the chance to advance to the interdisciplinary championship challenge in the afternoon.

Students who don't advance to the interdisciplinary championship round can participate in the career fair, resumé reviews, mock interviews, transfer guidance for four-year programs, or employer information sessions.

Choose the track that fits your strengths and aligns with your interest when you apply. Teams are then built to be balanced across colleges and experience levels, so students from all years compete side by side.

CHALLENGES

Software Development and Computer Science

Cybersecurity and Cloud Technologies

Data Analytics, AI, and Informatics

IT Support and Network Infrastructure

Interdisciplinary Championship Challenge

8:00 AM | Breakfast and Check-In

Complimentary breakfast and on-site check-in for all participants.

8:30 AM | Opening Remarks

Welcome from Ivy Tech, TechPoint, and our Sponsors.

9:00 AM - 12:00 PM | Preliminary Track Challenges

Four simultaneous discipline challenges. Cross-university, cross-experience teams tackle an employer-designed challenge over three hours.

12:00 PM - 1:00 PM | Lunch · Preliminary Awards · Interdisciplinary Championship Assignments

Recognize track winners and announce interdisciplinary championship teams.

1:00 PM - 4:00 PM | Interdisciplinary Championship Challenge

The top teams from each track regroup for the interdisciplinary championship challenge.

1:00 PM - 4:00 PM | Concurrent Career Sessions

For everyone not advancing: career fair, resumé reviews, mock interviews, four-year transfer guidance, and employer information sessions.

4:00 PM - 4:30 PM | Judging and Deliberation

Judges score the interdisciplinary championship challenge and select the winning teams.

4:30 PM - 5:00 PM | Championship Awards and Closing

Award the champions and close out the 2026 Statewide IT Challenge.

If you're studying technology at a college or university in Indiana, this is for you, whether you're just starting or finishing your degree.

Eligible Institutions

Students enrolled at Ivy Tech Community College and four-year colleges and universities across Indiana are invited to compete.

Year of Study

From your first year through graduate study, teams are intentionally built to mix experience levels, so there's a place for everyone.

Major

All IT and computing programs. Choose a competition track that fits your strengths when you apply.

Ivy Tech Students

Ivy Tech covers mileage and accommodations for participating Ivy Tech students. Hotel reimbursement is available if your campus is more than 50 miles from the venue and you agree to share a room with another student.

Other Indiana Colleges

Travel support is limited to those with extenuating circumstances. Please contact TechPoint at x@techpoint.org regarding travel and lodging support or reach out to your university for support options.

Meals Included

Complimentary breakfast and lunch are provided to every registered participant. Tell us about your dietary needs and allergies on the registration form. Accessibility and medical accommodations can also be requested during registration.

Sept 7, 2026

Applications Open

Nov 2, 2026

Applications Close

Nov 6, 2026

Teams Announced and Instructions Sent

Nov 9, 2026

Preparation Materials Sent

Nov 20, 2026

Challenge Day

Registration takes just a few minutes. Have a one-page resumé ready and know which track fits you best.

Complete the Registration Form

Tell us about you, your institution, and your program.

List your top 5 IT Skills & pick a Track

We use this to build balanced, cross-functional teams. Add your experience and choose your competition track.

Upload your one-page Resumé

A single-page PDF is all you need. It doubles as your intro to attending employers.

Watch for your team on Nov 6

Teams are announced with roughly two weeks to review prep materials before the IT Challenge Day.

The IT Challenge brings together students, educators, and Indiana's leading employers. Here's how to take part if you're not a competitor.

Employers and Industry

Get an inside look at Indiana's emerging tech talent and help shape the next generation of the workforce.

  • Serve as a judge or mentor during the competition.

  • Recruit at the career fair for internships and full-time roles.

  • Sponsor a challenge drawn from a real business problem.

Talk to TechPoint about partnering.

Ivy Tech Campuses

Ivy Tech faculty and staff are central to the day as student mentors and volunteers.

  • Encourage your students to register and compete.

  • Lead an afternoon career or transfer session.

  • Identify campus advisory board members to attend or sponsor.

Get involved as faculty and staff.

Common Questions

  • Any student enrolled at Ivy Tech Community College or at a four-year college or university in Indiana. All years of study are welcome, from first-year through graduate students, and all IT and computing majors are eligible to compete.

  • No. The IT Challenge is free to enter, and complimentary breakfast and lunch are provided to all registered participants.

  • Not at all. Teams are intentionally built to blend experience levels and majors, so students of all years compete side by side. Challenges are scoped for mixed-experience teams.

  • When you register, you'll choose a competition track and list your top five IT skills. Organizers use that information to build balanced, cross-university teams. Teams are announced on Friday, November 6, with roughly two weeks to prepare before IT Challenge Day.

  • Yes. Students from four-year colleges and universities across Indiana are encouraged to compete. For travel and lodging support, contact TechPoint at xxx@techpoint.org. More details will be shared upon acceptance.

  • A one-page PDF resumé at registration is the main requirement. After teams are announced, you'll receive prep materials so that you can come ready on IT Challenge Day.

  • You'll have a full slate of concurrent career sessions to choose from in the afternoon, including a career fair, resumé reviews, mock interviews, guidance on transferring to four-year programs, and information sessions from employers. The day stays valuable whether or not you advance.

  • Ivy Tech covers mileage and shared-room hotel accommodations for participating Ivy Tech students who are located more than 50 miles from the venue, per college policy. Students from other institutions should contact TechPoint about travel and lodging support.