The pilot program, announced in a news release today and created in partnership with telecommunications corporation Qualcomm Incorporated, will initially run in Montana, Ohio, Pennsylvania and West Virginia, utilizing after-school and summer programming as learning time.
The initiative will offer AI lessons and activities to both educators and students in schools across the states, in which teachers will build AI literacy themselves and then guide students in applying digital tools to real-world projects. The release said this will include creating solutions to community challenges or analyzing local data, while considering the ethical implications of AI use.
By tapping into after-school and summer programming, the nonprofit aims to circumvent some of the challenges school districts face when trying to embed AI into traditional classroom curricula, including limited classroom time, variable teacher training and diverse student needs.
“Afterschool and summer programs are powerful hands-on learning environments that center mentorship and teamwork, giving youth guided support to apply technology creatively and responsibly to address real-world challenges,” said Ron Ottinger, executive director of STEM Next Opportunity Fund. “We’re ensuring that afterschool and summer learning is part of the national strategy to equip youth with AI literacy and future-ready skills.”
The pilot is part of STEM Next’s broader efforts under its Next Level Tech Center of Excellence, with Qualcomm also serving as a founding partner. If the program proves successful, the website said, STEM Next hopes to scale the model nationally, offering districts a template for using extracurricular time to expand and accelerate AI education.
