Fort Wayne Students to Build AI Marketing Plans
Over 250 high schoolers will utilize artificial intelligence in engineering projects at a conference on October 27.
Updated on Oct. 24, 2026 in Artificial Intelligence
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More than 250 students from 15 area schools are set to gather at Purdue University Fort Wayne on October 27, 2026, for the Rotary World Affairs Conference. The event focuses on applying artificial intelligence to engineering and marketing tasks.
Why it matters
By integrating AI into hands-on projects, the conference seeks to provide students with early exposure to emerging technology workflows. The program encourages participants to develop problem-solving skills relevant to modern career pathways.
Students will collaborate on marketing plans using AI tools after testing wind turbine velocity with a fan and a multimeter. The program features three local presenters tasked with demonstrating these applications.
The players
Rotary Club of Fort Wayne
A service organization that hosts the annual World Affairs Conference to promote educational development and career exploration.
Purdue University Fort Wayne
A public university serving as the host site for local engineering and technology-focused educational events.
A global technology company providing financial support for the event as part of its educational outreach initiatives.
The details
The curriculum requires participants to design marketing strategies for turbine projects while applying artificial intelligence for creative and analytical tasks. Students will also perform physical testing of wind turbine velocity using multimeters, which are electronic measuring instruments that provide readings for voltage, current, and resistance. These activities are designed to combine empirical engineering data with AI-assisted business planning.
Timeline
October 9, 2026: School registration for the conference closed.
October 27, 2026: The Rotary World Affairs Conference takes place at Purdue University Fort Wayne.
The Tech Race
This conference aligns with regional efforts to accelerate STEM exposure by integrating AI into established mechanical engineering projects. It follows the pattern set by Purdue University Fort Wayne in prioritizing practical applications for local high school students.
Public, private, and homeschooled students from 15 area schools will participate in the October 27 event. Attendees will gain hands-on experience by presenting their AI-generated marketing strategies to their peers.
The takeaway
This event serves as a practical litmus test for how effectively students can bridge physical engineering with modern generative tools. Watch for post-conference reports detailing which AI marketing frameworks were most successful during the student presentations.
Further reading
For more on the trajectory of local AI education, see our Artificial Intelligence section.
Source note: This article includes information reported by Fort Wayne Journal Gazette.
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