Elodie Collins
Tim Boltz, sales director at Carahsoft Technology, said the recent executive order on Advancing Artificial Intelligence Education for American Youth reflects the government’s commitment to ensure that young people are equipped with the skills they need to drive in an economy driven by AI.
In a blog post on the company’s website, Boltz provided key takeaways from EO 14277.
The first step that the White House would take to implement the EO is to establish a cross-agency task force that would coordinate and manage efforts to promote AI in education. Boltz noted that the director of the Office of the Science and Technology Policy will chair the group, which will include the special adviser for AI and crypto, representatives from the National Science Foundation, and the secretaries of agriculture, labor and education.
Introducing AI to K-12
The EO is tasking schools to foster partnerships with industry, academic institutions and non-profit organizations to develop online resources for students to gain foundational knowledge of AI. According to Boltz, partnerships will be awarded on a rolling basis. AI resources are expected to be available for classroom use within 180 days of the partnership’s announcement.
Training Teachers to Use AI
The EO acknowledges the important roles that educators will play in dispersing AI education, and it directs the secretary of education to establish discretionary grant programs for teacher training.
The NSF is also tasked with providing teacher training opportunities to ensure that educators can safely and effectively integrate the technology in their classrooms.
Developing an AI-Ready Workforce Through Apprenticeships
The government also wants the AI education to extend beyond K-12 and provide opportunities for workplace development through apprenticeship programs. According to the directive, the secretary of labor will use existing discretionary funds to create nationwide program standards.
States are also allowed to use Workforce Innovation and Opportunity Act funding for AI learning opportunities.
