Day of AI teaches K-12 students about artificial intelligence — the MIT way
Developed by MIT RAISE, the AI curriculum embodies the missions of the Institute and MIT Open Learning.
By Katherine Ouellette
In an increasingly AI-powered society, how can parents and educators show students how to use artificial intelligence responsibly? The Day of AI curriculum can help.
The free Day of AI lessons and activities introduce K-12 students to how AI works, its benefits and risks, and how they can design and create with this technology. Researchers at MIT Responsible AI for Social Empowerment and Education (RAISE), part of MIT Open Learning, developed the curricula to be accessible to students and teachers of all backgrounds and abilities.
Since its launch in 2022, Day of AI has reached an estimated 500,000 students worldwide who will shape the future of their communities with this technology. The 2024 Day of AI global celebration will take place on May 13 at the Museum of Science in Boston. MIT RAISE will livestream talks by Cynthia Breazeal, dean for digital learning at MIT Open Learning, director of MIT RAISE, and founder of Day of AI, Tim Ritchie, president of the Museum of Science, Michael Lawrence Evans, program director of the Boston Mayor’s Office of New Urban Mechanics, Dava Newman, director of the MIT Media Lab, and other panelists. Students from the New England Innovation Academy will present projects from the Day of AI curriculum.
“We’re counting on you, the next generation, to learn how AI works and help make sure it’s for everyone — not just for engineers or scientists at MIT, or people with degrees in computer science — for everyone,” says MIT President Sally Kornbluth.
Hands-on learning with digital technologies
Day of AI projects use the research-proven teaching method of active learning — an educational approach that MIT values so highly that is embedded in the Institute’s motto of “mens et manus,” or “mind and hand.” The Day of AI curriculum combines academic lessons with engaging hands-on projects that inspire students to be active, informed, and creative users and designers of AI. Just as MIT uses hands-on learning to spark students’ excitement of discovery on campus, MIT RAISE is fostering that excitement in the next generation of science and technology students.
Day of AI is just one of the ways that MIT RAISE is holistically and equitably preparing diverse K-12 students in learning, education, and computational action. Researchers at MIT RAISE and MIT Open Learning, whose mission is to transform teaching and learning at MIT and around the globe through the innovative use of digital technologies, are continuously seeking and sharing the most effective and efficient pedagogies, learning sciences, and educational technologies with educators around the world.
Sharing knowledge to create a better world
MIT is committed to sharing knowledge and working with others to help solve the world’s greatest challenges. With that mission in mind, the RAISE team developed a Day of AI curriculum for K-12 students on the intersection of data science and climate change. The program empowers students across the globe to use AI technologies to create a better world, whether that’s taking climate action, or ensuring that AI is designed equitably and responsibly.
“The team developed the new climate curriculum in part because of the role MIT sees for itself in using education to address climate change but even more because this curriculum was what teachers and their students are looking for: wanting to learn about new tools that can address the challenges around them,” says Jeff Freilich, program lead at MIT RAISE.
Educators and students can access the entire Day of AI curriculum at any time. Follow @MIT_RAISE on Instagram and share your own AI education ideas and classroom projects using #DayofAI. Join MIT RAISE for its Day of AI global celebration on May 13, and watch the livestream of the speakers at the Museum of Science event. The livestream link will be shared on the Museum of Science website prior to the event.
About Day of AI
Day of AI is a free, hands-on curriculum of lessons and activities designed by a team of researchers at MIT RAISE to introduce K-12 students to artificial intelligence and how it shapes their lives. These resources are free, Creative Commons-licensed, and made to be accessible to students of all backgrounds and abilities. Activities are organized by age group (elementary, middle school, and high school) and can be run in 30-minute to 1-hour time blocks.
About MIT RAISE
RAISE is an MIT-wide initiative headquartered in the MIT Media Lab and in collaboration with the MIT Schwarzman College of Computing and MIT Open Learning.
