The second HBCU Innovation Power Hour’s spring tour arrived at Drake State Community and Technical College, bringing with it a chance for students to gain hands-on experience and face time with industry leaders and entrepreneurs.

The Innovative Power Hour, which was held at Drake State on Monday, is an initiative of The Alabama Collective. Innovate Alabama is a partner in the program, which is taken to all 14 HBCUs in the state.

“Our goal is to come to campus and expose them to tech, to entrepreneurship, to innovation,’’ said Charisse Stokes, executive director of The Alabama Collective. “So they’ll actually get an opportunity to learn how to develop an app. And they also work with AI.’’

The Alabama Collective’s Innovative Power Hour is actually a misnomer since the program lasts beyond 60 minutes. Drake State describes the time as filled with innovative challenges, inspiring speakers and opportunities to collaborate with experts in technology, AI and business.

Student Brea Bradford said she was drawn to the event to absorb all she could about AI, a popular field in computer science at all levels of education as well as in the working world.

“It was the AI,’’ she said, “and then also learning how to get funding for your business.’’

AI is out front as a discipline for today’s students.

“Absolutely,’’ Bradford said. “I actually developed my own website and I used AI to help me build it. AI is phenomenal.’’’

The Innovation Power Hour is free to all students, recent alumni, faculty and staff.

Two highlights from the day included:

The Ideation Innovation Challenge

Participants transformed their ideas into reality through workshops and expert mentorship, with the chance to pitch their concepts for prizes.

The Innovation Design Challenge

Design Your School of the Future encouraged students to apply design thinking principles to envision bold, groundbreaking solutions for the future of education.

Also held were pitch competitions, training in cyber security and data analytics, and entrepreneurship training.

“This partnership with The Alabama Collective gives our students an opportunity to participate in programs that allow them to develop apps or entrepreneurship,’’ said Dr. Carolyn Henderson, Drake State’s Dean of Instruction. “So it gives them some hands-on exposure to help us high end the teaching and learning that they do with actual practical work, and it gives them a chance to connect with individuals that are actually doing the work and maybe encourage them to continue their educational endeavors.’’

Students who develop an app and submit a video of it working will be judged, with a trip to Montgomery on the line. The top 10 submissions from the 14 schools will convene in the capital city, where they’ll again be judged in a live pitch competition. A total of $17,000 in prizes will be awarded.

“Our HBCUs are home to some of the brightest, most innovative minds, and it’s essential that we provide them with access to technology, resources, and opportunities to lead in AI, entrepreneurship, and emerging industries,’’ Stokes said. “Through Innovation Power Hours, we’re not only inspiring students to think big, but we’re also preparing them for high-demand careers that will shape the future workforce and economy.’’