May 18, 2026
š Washington County Educators Named State Champions in Presidential AI Challenge
Two educators from John S. Battle High School have been recognized as state champions in the Presidential AI Challenge, an initiative designed to encourage innovative uses of artificial intelligence in education.
Susan Davenport, an English teacher, and Teresa Austin, a math teacher, were named Virginia winners in the Educator Track after developing MasteryLens, an AI-powered tool designed to support both teachers and students in the classroom.
Their project, created with mentorship from industry partners at CGI, one of the worldās largest independent technology and professional services firms, functions as an AI chatbot and grading assistant. The tool provides immediate, meaningful feedback to students while also offering teachers valuable insights into student understanding and mastery of content ā helping to streamline grading and enhance instruction.
āHaving the mentors from CGI in our corner gave us confidence that what we wanted to create was possible,ā said Davenport. āThey were there every step of the way, offering encouragement and solutions as we developed a final product that we are proud of.ā
The Presidential AI Challenge invited educators and students from across the nation and U.S. territories to design innovative AI-based solutions or instructional models. Davenport and Austin submitted their project in January and were notified in March that they had been selected as Virginia winners, advancing to the Southeast Regional Competition.
Through their work on MasteryLens, both educators gained valuable experience in understanding the capabilities and limitations of artificial intelligence in education. They plan to continue refining the tool with the goal of implementing it in classrooms in the future.
Washington County Public Schools congratulates Ms. Austin and Ms. Davenport on this outstanding achievement and their commitment to innovation in education.
To learn more about MasteryLens, click here.