Participating schools form teams of one to five students with a sponsoring teacher and a project advisor from a business, university, or research laboratory. Each team defines and works on a single computational project of its own choosing. Projects represent all areas of science and mathematics, with many teams choosing problems that impact their local environments. Participants receive educational training at workshops, access powerful supercomputers, and tap the expertise of scientists and technical consultants who are available throughout the year-long program. The Challenge is both an educational program and a competition.
Teams can compete for scholarships, savings bonds, and computing equipment for their schools.
LANL provides the supercomputers used in the program, which are networked by Technet for free state-wide access to participating schools. LANL also develops and implements the educational curriculum, provides volunteer instructors and team advisors, and sponsors the final judging and Awards Day activities. LANL and Technet are part of a partnership of New Mexico businesses, universities, and federal laboratories that sponsors the program.