Pilot Program Fosters AI Literacy in Underserved Youth
A pilot co-led by Operation HOPE and Georgia State University is working to build technical, entrepreneurial, and financial-literacy skills in Atlanta-area youth to help them thrive in the AI-powered workforce. The AI Literacy Pipeline to Prosperity Project (AILP³) kicked off earlier this month with a week-long summer camp for rising 9th–11th graders hosted at Georgia State's J. Mack Robinson College of Business.
Participants engaged in immersive, hands-on activities such as AI literacy bootcamps, design-thinking sprints, mentorship from local tech leaders, and opportunities to develop AI-driven prototypes, according to a news announcement. Students were taught by a multidisciplinary team of Georgia State faculty focused on innovation, finance, technology, education, and entrepreneurship, as well as industry experts from Atlanta's ecosystem of AI companies.
"With AILP³ and our inaugural summer camp, we're planting the seeds of innovation and economic mobility where they're needed most," commented Brian Betts, President and CFO of Operation HOPE, in a statement. "Georgia State has been an exceptional lead partner in designing and executing the pilot, and we're equally grateful to the original coalition of thought leaders, from the AI Ethics Council to Atlanta's HBCUs, who helped shape this vision from the beginning."
"It was exciting to collaborate with our GSU faculty and industry partners to shape every element of this experience, from program curriculum to student engagement, and to create such a transformative opportunity for these high school students to develop and deepen their AI literacy skills," said Dr. Jen Bailey, Robinson's associate dean for undergraduate programs, who led the curriculum design and program delivery for the AILP³ camp. "Their curiosity, creativity, and drive made this inaugural cohort a powerful reminder of what's possible when we invest early in the next generation of innovators."
The AILP³ initiative is continuing to develop a range of programming, including K-12 immersion programs, AI-focused scholarships, apprenticeships and family support for workers displaced by automation, and plans to use the Atlanta pilot as a template that can be replicated nationally. It is supported by Georgia State University's student success model and Operation HOPE's "HOPE Inside" platform, which has generated more than $4.2 billion in economic activity for underserved communities across the United States. For more information, go to the AILP³ site.
About the Author
Rhea Kelly is editor in chief for Campus Technology, THE Journal, and Spaces4Learning. She can be reached at [email protected].