North Dakota’s Gateway to Science was honored to co-host an AI in Education Summit, along with the North Dakota STEM Ecosystem, the Teaching Institute for Excellence in STEM, and aiEDU. The summit was held on September 17 at New Town High School. NDGTS CEO Beth Demke opened the summit, encouraging over 150 people to make the most of the opportunity.  

NDGTS Onsite Education Director Alisha Kelim led breakout sessions specifically focused on helping educators develop tangible resources for utilizing AI in their classrooms. Additional breakout sessions were presented by aiEDU, Bismarck State College, The Coding School, the International Society for Technology in Education (ISTE), and Project Leo. 

The AI in Education Summit was the first opportunity for many educators to learn about North Dakota’s AI Guidelines directly from the Department of Public Instruction during a panel discussion.  

Summit organizers expressed several goals: 

• Promote Understanding: enhance educators’ comprehension of artificial intelligence and its applications in the educational landscape.  

• Introduce AI Skills for the Classroom: Employ demonstrations and interactive activities to familiarize the entire group with the concept of integrating foundational AI into the classroom environment.  

• Foster Cross-disciplinary Connections: showcasing how AI can be seamlessly integrated into various subjects, encouraging educators to explore cross-disciplinary approaches.  

• Build Community: address concerns related to AI’s impact on diverse communities and advocate for strategies to ensure equitable access and inclusion in AI education, minimizing disparities.  

Free curricula and resources were made available to all participants, ensuring that attendees left the summit with tangible materials that can be easily implemented in schools, promoting widespread adoption of AI in education.