Dayton Business Journal: Wright State leads $2.5M national push to tackle AI education divide in rural areas

A local university has secured a multimillion-dollar grant to expand artificial intelligence (AI) literacy from rural schools through colleges and into the workforce.

Wright State University has been awarded a $2.5 million federal grant to lead an AI education initiative, enabling the full development and integration of a new curriculum for rural communities to expand AI literacy to students in underserved areas.

The four-year award is funded through the U.S. Department of Education’s Fund for the Improvement of Postsecondary Education, supporting a project titled “Strengthening American Competitiveness with AI Education.”

The initiative will teach educators how to use AI tools in their classrooms while strengthening their understanding of core AI concepts. It will also include curriculum development and professional development beginning this summer to help educators integrate AI into instruction.

The primary goal of the project is to establish a through line for students by offering AI literacy earlier in school, deepening those skills in college and better preparing graduates for careers in a workforce increasingly shaped by artificial intelligence.

“This four‑year award underscores Wright State University’s commitment to workforce‑driven education and innovation and reflects the university’s leadership in artificial intelligence education and applied research,” said Jim Denniston, Wright State provost. “Through ‘Strengthening American Competitiveness with AI Education,’ we will expand access to artificial intelligence education, prepare students for high‑demand careers and strengthen the region’s, and the nation’s, capacity to compete in a rapidly evolving technological economy.”

Wright State will collaborate with faculty at Kansas State University and the University of Florida to develop, implement and track the program’s success. This will include developing an AI-focused curriculum, training educators and creating advanced AI tools to support it.

A key feature of the project is its use of neurosymbolic AI, which combines neural systems such as large language models and machine learning with symbolic systems like knowledge graphs and expert systems. The approach is designed to reduce the risk of AI-generated errors and improve reliability for use in educational settings.

The project is led by Cogan Shimizu, assistant professor of computer science at Wright State.

“This grant is designed to address the rapid rise of AI across industries by helping learners understand both its benefits and risks, while equipping them with the skills to use these tools to stay competitive in the national and global workforce,” he said.

Read the complete article at bizjournals.com/dayton.