aiEDU announces multi-year collaboration with Booz Allen Hamilton
Today, aiEDU announced it is collaborating with Booz Allen Hamilton on a marquee program to scale our “Introduction to AI” curriculum, with a focus on engaging with the greater Washington, D.C. region. The collaboration is the largest in aiEDU’s history as a nonprofit, and our first significant regional program on the East Coast.
“AI is a transformational technology that is poised to permeate every aspect of our society in ways that few past innovations have,” said John Larson, Senior Vice President at Booz Allen Hamilton. “AI has the potential to play a major role in addressing some of the most pressing challenges facing our nation and the world, from combating climate change to improving healthcare. To reach that potential, however, it is critical that we ensure equitable access for all to participate in, and benefit from, an AI-driven future. We believe there are underrepresented people and communities at risk of being left out of the AI revolution, which is why we’re collaborating with aiEDU to scale AI literacy to achieve a brighter outcome for all.”
Booz Allen was aiEDU’s earliest backer, as one of three companies to provide the nonprofit with seed funding to hire its founding team and invest in the development and experimentation of their curriculum MVP during the COVID-19 pandemic. aiEDU will continue to interface with Booz Allen, working closely with Mr. Larson, who will be supporting our strategy as a Senior Advisor on our Advisory Board.
“Booz Allen works to be a convening force for the social sector, bringing together thought leaders and diverse perspectives to use innovation and technology advancements to help solve challenging social issues and build community resilience from the ground up,” said Christine Hoisington, Director of Community Impact + Philanthropy and Executive Director of The Booz Allen Foundation. “aiEDU’s programs, which are at the vanguard of education, 21st century skills, and the Future of Work, fit squarely within our mission to expand awareness and empower diverse communities to succeed in the new digital economy.”
aiEDU will be working directly with leaders at Booz Allen to engage with educators and influencers in the education ecosystem to identify schools to join a small but growing cohort of pioneers in AI education. The company’s support for aiEDU spans curriculum and PD grants, curriculum development and R&D, thought leadership and advocacy, and convenings including a summer leadership academy.
“I remember my very first conversation with Booz Allen. I was running through what would be the first of dozens of versions of our pitch deck, and our pitch really resonated with the Booz Allen team, which demonstrated to me that they have been on the vanguard of helping the government implement AI solutions, and were therefore well aware of how transformative the technology is going to be,” said Alex Kotran, CEO and Co-Founder of aiEDU. “Over the past few years, Booz Allen has been a critical and core supporter of our work, and I’m thrilled about this collaboration, which solidifies our work together over the next few years.”
