Locked:
Day of AI was born at MIT in June 2021. Led by a team of faculty and research scientists at MIT RAISE (Responsible AI for Social Empowerment and Education), the Day of AI program sought to prepare K-12 students of all backgrounds and abilities to be successful, responsible, and engaged in an increasingly AI-powered society. Working with i2 Learning, the team at MIT RAISE provided K-12 teachers with a series of freely available hands-on AI literacy lessons and professional development to implement this new curriculum.
Day of AI was far bigger and more impactful than expected. Day of AI was taught in 30 US states and 40 countries worldwide in less than a year. By year two, Day of AI programming was in schools in all 50 states and over 110 countries, with translations in multiple languages and adaptations for different locales. Outside evaluations of the program showed a statistically significant impact in not only student understanding of AI after going through the lessons but also more optimism and agency in their own ability to shape their future with AI. Surveys and interviews with teachers after their going through the Day of AI professional development consistently showed “high” or “extrmely high” understanding, satisfaction, and readiness to teach AI literacy to their students. These results were consistent across students of all ages and teachers of all subject disciplines.
To better serve this meteoric demand for the program, in August 2024, Day of AI was spun out of MIT and set up as a stand-alone not-for-profit entity with fully dedicated resources to the mission. Continuing to leverage the resources and expertise of the researchers and scientists at MIT RAISE, the Day of AI team of educators, technologists, and trainers has expanded the program’s focus beyond basic K12 student AI literacy to include supporting teachers in leveraging AI and AI-enabled tools in their practice and working with school leaders to ensure student safety and equity through the design and implementation of appropriate AI policies in their schools.
Translate »
