26-27 Invitation to Register

2026–2027 Competition

Time to register for the 37th Super Computing Challenge.

A year-long marathon of creativity, problem-solving, and innovation for middle and high school students across New Mexico.

If you want your students to…

  • Build research skills for scientific inquiry
  • Grow confident with complex math and technology problem-solving in computer science and programming
  • Articulate their own ideas, communicate clearly, and work as a team

Then your school will want to participate. The Challenge is organized with support from academic, research, and high-technology partners including New Mexico Tech, Los Alamos National Lab and other sponsors. Teams learn to model important real-world problems and explore computational approaches to their solutions.

Season snapshot

  • Registration: Opens August 1 and runs through September 20 for best consideration; teams finalize by September 30
  • Proposals: Due before October 9
  • Kickoff: October 10–11, 2026 at New Mexico Tech in Socorro
  • Interim reports: December
  • February evaluations: Project evaluations at universities statewide
  • Scholarships: Applications due March 1
  • Final reports & Expo registration: First Wednesday in April
  • Expo & Awards: Friday–Saturday, April 23–24, 2027 at NM Tech in Socorro

See Important Dates for the full calendar. Participation costs are minimal — a $40 student fee — with major funding from the National Labs and other sponsors.

Questions teams explore

Here are sample questions teams might answer:

  • How can we better protect our society from hackers?
  • Is our county going to run out of water?
  • Does it rain more on weekends?
  • How does snow pack affect river flow?
  • What effect do forest fires have on ecosystems?
  • How can self-care help in the prevention of disease?

After selecting a problem, teams choose a programming language or modeling approach that fits their project — often Python, Java, C++, NetLogo, or similar tools. Mentors from national labs, universities, and industry support teams throughout the year.

Browse project ideas · See example projects

Teachers: post the flyer(s)

Print or edit the classroom flyer to solicit students. Add your contact information to the Word version before posting.

Questions? Email consult@supercomputingchallenge.org or call (505) 412-2558.

Register now

Start brainstorming ideas, talk with potential teammates, and begin researching your topic. The earlier you register, the more time you will have to develop your project and connect with mentors.

Take the Challenge!