PINELLAS COUNTY, Fla. — Lakewood High School in Pinellas County recently launched a new artificial intelligence program.
“I really like AI because it’s really what I can see the world going to in the future,” said student Macie Sullivan.
It’s a three-year course called AI Foundations, and it’s part of the school’s Center for Advanced Technology program.
More than 80 students are enrolled.
“It’s a technology program, so it needs to be constantly evolving, constantly changing, constantly adapting to the times. So AI is one of those things that we have decided is the newest technology that’s out there. So we want to make sure that our kids are coming ready and prepared for industry, so that’s why we’ve integrated an AI pathway into their program,” said Michael McCullough, Curriculum Specialist in the Career and Technical Education Department for Pinellas County Schools.
The University of Florida designed the AI Education Program to teach students the skills required to work with AI.
“It’s nice to have an AI class here in high school because a lot of the times it’s teachers' worst nightmares, you know, but in here we’re able to learn how it, we’re able to use AI to help us learn,” said Sullivan.
Students are doing everything from basic AI introductions to programming and applications in the real world.
“They’ll get to learn about what the industry uses to test on as well as how they can get their hands and feet wet with the actual industry,” said John Matthew Cortez, AI Educator.
“I think AI is really cool because computers can really only do so much on their own. AI enables us to more closely replicate what humans can do with their brains and allow computers to think just like us,” said student Leland Kilborn.
The program encourages students to embrace the technology as it continues to advance.
“AI is so extremely important right now. It’s ubiquitous. I mean everything from their cell phones, TV, content creation, social media; everything that they touch and use every day has AI in it. They need to learn now how that functions,” said Cortez.
Pinellas is one of only 12 school districts statewide to offer the AI curriculum.
Students will be able to earn certification through this coursework, knowing it’ll be useful to them in the future.
“The field is blowing up right now, so I’m very excited to go into it the career. It has a lot of applications for like language processing, for example, which is going to be very important in the future,” said Kilborn.
“I’m hoping to go into engineering, but I have no doubt that I’m going to use AI in that field or any other field,” said Sullivan.
The program will continue to grow as the AI technology advances.
“To see them programming, to see them, you know, adapting, and to see them embracing AI, gives us hope that you know we’re doing the right thing for our students. That our students are coming prepared,” said McCullough.
