NIC X-Labs

05/29/2026

For many, life after high school is filled with confusion and uncertainty.

05/27/2026

Happening now at NIC’s Hedlund Building! 
Chris Wood, world‑renowned lean manufacturing expert, is sharing how he helped George Lucas bring the Lucas Museum of Narrative Art to life—focusing on cross‑sector innovation and the jobs that need to be done. Reaching over 80 high school students today.
Special thanks to the I‑90 Aerospace Corridor Conference for making this opportunity possible.

05/27/2026

North Idaho College and University of Idaho are co-presenting at the Conference! Students, faculty, and staff are sharing about educational offerings, reflecting on projects, and are featuring robot demos.

05/19/2026

This 2025-26 school year, NIC and UI student teams tackled real workforce challenges across multiple sectors—aerospace, energy, agriculture, water systems, and data science—developing solutions that included:

• Automating aerospace quality inspection using robotics

• Simulating power grid performance with AI

• Mapping Idaho’s industry ecosystem with data analytics

• Integrating environmental and water data using APIs and satellite imagery

• Building IoT dashboards for real-time sensing and visualization

Each project moved through the X-labs innovation cycle:

design → experiment → prototype → present, culminating in presentations at the UI Undergraduate Research Symposium.

The result?

Undergraduate research with real-world impact

Opportunity networks connecting students, faculty, employers, and community

Applied solutions aligned to workforce needs

This is a true win, win:

• Students gain experience and visibility

• Employers engage with emerging talent

• Communities benefit from applied innovation

When we align education with real challenges, something powerful happens:

Students become innovators.

Learning becomes opportunity.

And applied learning creates impact.

NICXLabs UniversityOfIdaho CIIR

05/06/2026

North Idaho College students Carmen Becker, Joseph Moran, and Blake Sanchez spent the 2025-26 school year in design and problem solving through and as ! What started as a question about communication grew into a discovery of AI, as a resource. Activities included interviews, research, co-hosting NIC’s first AI for Industry Think Tank and AI Hackathon, as well as participation in the UIF Global Summit! Partners included University of Idaho , students, instructors/staff, industry partners, and community members. Yesterday, our team honored them with a pinning ceremony and S’mores, as we reflected on the impact of their efforts.

05/06/2026

Phase 1 Construction is underway for North Idaho College X‑Labs Innovation Center!

This space is being built for collaboration and problem solving—bringing students, instructors, industry partners, and community experts together to co‑work on authentic projects.
is where applied learning makes an impact through challenges, collaboration, and real outcomes.
The design work starts here—and the impact will reach far beyond these walls.

04/15/2026

What a difference a day makes! The North Idaho College X-labs Innovation Center, construction project for Phase 1, is underway! Follow to see how students, faculty, staff, industry and community partners are already involved in innovative work together.

04/13/2026

04/10/2026

Last week, North Idaho College student teams made their first appearance at the Idaho Entrepreneur Challenge and delivered strong results—both teams advanced to the semifinals out of 81 statewide applicants, with one earning third place.

Simply Maid Clean, founded by Casandra Rencken, earned third place in the Service Disruptor category and a $1,125 award.

White Pine Cache, co‑founded by Cain Gardner and Dylan Herman, showcased a market‑driven venture focused on secure storage and sustainable land stewardship.

These businesses were developed through NIC’s Business Management AAS program and Entrepreneurship Basic Technical Certificate, with foundational work in ENTP 105, demonstrating how applied learning builds workforce‑ready skills through real‑world testing, feedback, and iteration.

Students received coaching from Kylie Trout, Assistant Professor of Business Management and Entrepreneurship, who supports student founders by helping them develop, test, and clearly communicate real business ideas. Collaboration through NIC X‑Labs further connected learning directly to opportunity.

Sign up: https://catalog.nic.edu/program-guidelines/business-management-aas/

Support NIC student’s local ventures: www.simplymaidcleanllc.com
www.whitepinecache.com

04/10/2026

Celebrating all students, industry partners, community members, instructors, and organizers of this incredible event!
Well done, Casandra, Cain, and Dylan!

03/27/2026

Innovation happens intentionally when bright minds come together in a fun, engaging way.

Earlier this month, NIC X-Labs hosted its first AI Hackathon at the Hedlund Building. The challenge was simple: build something meaningful using AI within a limited timeframe.

More than 50 students and community members from across the region came together to work in teams. By the end of the day, each group presented their ideas to a panel of judges made up of local industry leaders.

Here’s what they worked on:
• AI tools to support healthcare providers and maximize patient-doctor facetime
• Adaptive learning tools to help students learn at their own pace
• Platforms designed to help small businesses and entrepreneurs scale

Events like this are one of the ways NIC X-Labs is connecting students directly with industry. Students are gaining hands-on experience, solving real problems, and building skills that translate directly into the workforce.

This is the kind of work NIC X-Labs is continuing to build on - creating more opportunities for students to collaborate with industry and apply their skills in real-world settings. More NIC X-Labs events and announcements are ahead as this work continues to expand!