Introduction
In the education space, AI often gets a bad rap, but AI is actually a powerful tool to uplevel students' critical thinking and problem-solving skills. Our public school curriculum needs to integrate AI so students can harness the power of this technology, which is here to stay and rapidly transforming our lives. Students need to understand not only how the technology works but also how we can meaningfully impact the lives of others and think ethically about its potential implications, ensuring that the way we use the technology aligns with our fundamental morals and values.
Education is meant to prepare students for college, future career paths, and meaningful civic engagement. There is a huge gap between what students are learning and the technology that is rapidly changing our world. The goal of AI Explorer is to bridge that gap.
We are teaching youth AI to advance the UN SDGs. WE ARE ACTION-ORIENTED AND POLICY-ALIGNED
GO AND LEARN
Project Goal
The AI Explorer seeks to prepare the next generation of entrepreneurs and workers to harness the incredible power of cutting-edge AI technologies. In a series of freely available online modules, The AI Explorer guides students through every element of AI usage in the workplace, from the applications of the technology in various industries to specific strategies to incorporate AI into everyday tasks. In the end, students will graduate empowered with the technological literacy necessary to create their own success in an AI-integrated world.
Project Description
Modeled after online courses like Khan Academy and Magoosh, The AI Explorer is a freely available digital platform that allows students to learn at their own pace and on their own time. The curriculum is designed to be hands-on and experiential, presenting students with slideshows and lectures before testing their skills in practice exercises. In keeping with the themes of the lessons, the end goal is to incorporate adaptive learning models, ensuring that the lessons respond to the needs of our students.
Project Backstory
The AI Explorer began with an observation.
Public school curriculum was often two to three years behind the curve when it came to new developments. Whereas private school students enjoy access to lessons on cutting-edge technologies such as AI, public school children are still learning the educational equivalent of starting a fire with sticks.
Research suggests that this creates a literacy gap early that will only widen with time, creating vicious cycles of illiteracy. As students go off to college or join the workforce, those with the best understanding of new technologies, especially AI, are far better equipped to market themselves, secure high-paying jobs, and drive innovation in the economy. At the same time, those without these critical skills cannot adapt as easily to the fluctuations of the market or changing times, placing them at a severe disadvantage rooted in longstanding gaps in resources and education.
As with many other social problems, the best way to achieve equity is to make resources accessible and inclusive to those who need them most–this principle lies at the heart of The AI Explorer. So far, we’ve created an online curriculum, consisting of video lectures and exercises, freely accessible to anyone with an internet connection. This ensures that all students, no matter their background, are able to develop critical AI literacy skills.
Ultimately, The AI Explorer aims to empower students not only to participate but to take an active role in shaping our increasingly AI-integrated future.
Dragon Kim Foundation Winners ✦ Aligned With UN SDG Goals 8, 9, And 10 ✦