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The Curriculum
Launched fall 2023 with university and high school faculty — activities, lesson plans, and projects built around hands-on learning and real-world applications.
See the 12 classes →
Student-led • AI & CS education for all
Supporting education for all students
EngageAI is an educational programming institution designed to stimulate interest in Artificial Intelligence and Computer Science among scholars in traditionally underrepresented communities.
Our values
✦ Accessible
✦ Hands-on
✦ Diverse & inclusive
Our Vision
Every student deserves a solid AI education
Artificial Intelligence is set to transform our lives in countless ways — from how we work and learn to how we communicate and relax. Like past tech revolutions, the people who get the chance to understand and master AI will gain the most, while others might miss out.
We aspire to foster a hands-on learning environment where students gain knowledge across every sphere of the AI revolution — from technical questions to ethical dilemmas. EngageAI prizes itself on its commitment to diversity: students of varied academic interests, hobbies, and socioeconomic, racial, and ethnic backgrounds all deserve to be engaged in the AI revolution.
- Connection
Relationships that create comfort, safety, and trust.
- Adaptation
Flexibly meeting each school's needs and abilities.
- Accessibility
Quality education available to every learner.
- Creativity
Innovative thinking woven through every lesson.
- Fun
Laughter and joy as essentials of real learning.
What We Offer
Four ways we spread AI literacy
A complete program — from a classroom curriculum to free public resources.
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Schools & Affiliates
Classroom trials run at schools and youth organizations across New York City, reaching hundreds of students.
Meet our partners →🧰
AI Tools
A curated compendium of our favorite AI tools to help students leverage Artificial Intelligence to achieve their goals.
Browse the toolbox →🎬
AI Lessons
A recorded six-part AI-teaching series so any school can independently teach students and spread AI literacy to all.
Watch the series →
The Curriculum
Twelve classes, from first principles to a capstone
Students learn the logic behind Machine Learning and Natural Language Processing at an age-appropriate level — classification systems, linear regression, neural networks, and more — with two ethics case studies and a personalized Capstone Project.
- C1
AI Intro
Identify whether technologies use AI, discuss real-world applications, and categorize AI system types.
- C2
Machine Learning Intro
Explore how humans learn, hypothesize how computers learn, and train models with Teachable Machine.
- C3
Linear Regression
Predict data values through games, then study real applications like weather and box-office forecasts.
- C4
Classification — Decision Trees
Classify objects by building decision trees and discuss how computers set classification criteria.
- C5
Classification — Naive Bayes
Solve probability problems, practice sentiment analysis, then play "AI Jeopardy."
- C6
Case Study: Bias in Amazon's Hiring AI
Role-play as Amazon and U.S. government groups proposing responses to algorithmic bias.
- C7
Neural Networks
Discuss how neural networks mirror the brain and revisit Teachable Machine for image recognition.
- C8
Natural Language Processing
Interact with chatbots and run emotion-detection exercises while discussing practical NLP uses.
- C9
Generative AI Ethics
A discussion examining generative AI's benefits, harms, and questions of creative attribution.
- C10
Deepfake Case Study
Distinguish real images from deepfakes through games and analysis of facial inconsistencies.
- C11
Project Work-Day & Jeopardy
Develop Capstone Projects and review course content through games.
- C12
Project Presentation Day
Each student presents a 3-minute project in a celebratory setting with refreshments.
AI Lessons
A free, recorded six-part teaching series
We recorded every lesson in our abbreviated AI-teaching series so schools can independently teach students about AI. Teachers can play the videos for group viewing with built-in discussion time — individual learners of all ages can watch too.
Grades 5–8
Lesson 1 — What is AI?
Unpacks what AI is, how it can be used, and how it functions, with hands-on interaction with AI websites.
Grades 7–8
Lesson 2 — Machine Learning
How machine-learning models work at a basic level; students train image classifiers with Teachable Machine.
Grades 5–8
Lesson 3 — Generative AI
What Generative AI is, how it's impacting society, and the basics of prompt engineering.
Grades 5–8
Lesson 4 — Deepfakes
What deepfakes are and how to distinguish real images from AI-generated ones.
Grades 5–8
Lesson 5 — Capstone Projects
Students culminate the course by designing their own AI-powered website or robot.
Bonus • Grades 7–9
Bonus — AI in the Real World
An advanced look at applying AI through case studies on a pastry shop and hotel management.
Our Impact
Reaching students across New York City
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Students Reached
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Schools & Affiliates
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Curriculum Classes
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Free Recorded Lessons
Schools & Affiliates
Where EngageAI has been in the classroom
Classroom trials conducted at schools and youth organizations across New York City.
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YMCA Vanderbilt
150 students in grades 4–8 across five game-based lessons, ending with Capstone Projects solving problems they cared about.
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YMCA Long Island City
250 kids in grades 5–8 over six sessions, taught in both English and Spanish, with an August Capstone showcase.
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The Dalton School
Our founding school and home base, where much of the curriculum and instructor team is developed.
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The Boys' Club of New York
An ongoing teaching site where many of our instructors lead weekly AI sessions.
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Tompkins Square Middle School
A public middle-school partner bringing the curriculum into mainstream classrooms.
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Garden of Hope
A community organization partner extending AI literacy beyond the traditional classroom.
"I would definitely recommend this AI program to other schools and facilities."
"This program was very fun for the kids and my staff enjoyed seeing the kids participate."
In the Classroom
AI Tools
A compendium of our favorite AI tools
A curated toolbox — our original picks plus the tools reviewers most consistently rank among the best.
Chatbots & Assistants
- ChatGPT
OpenAI's assistant for tutoring, support, writing, and analysis.
Try it live → - Claude
Anthropic's helpful, honest assistant — strong at writing and reasoning.
Try it live → - Google Gemini
Google's multimodal assistant, integrated across Workspace.
Try it live → - Microsoft Copilot
Microsoft's AI companion across the web and Office apps.
Try it live → - Perplexity AI
Answer engine that researches the web and cites its sources.
Try it live →
Learning & Research
- Khanmigo AI
Khan Academy's tutor that guides students through learning.
Try it live → - Quizlet Q-Chat
AI study chatbot built into Quizlet for interactive practice.
Try it live → - NotebookLM
Google tool that turns your sources into summaries and audio overviews.
Try it live → - Wolfram Alpha
Computational engine for math, science, and step-by-step solutions.
Try it live → - Tavily AI
Research assistant delivering accurate, real-time info for LLMs.
Try it live →
Writing & Productivity
- Grammarly
AI writing assistant for grammar, clarity, and tone.
Try it live → - QuillBot
Paraphrasing and rewriting to improve clarity and style.
Try it live → - Notion AI
AI built into Notion for notes, docs, and knowledge bases.
Try it live → - Gamma AI
Quickly creates polished presentations, docs, and sites.
Try it live → - Otter.ai
AI meeting notes — live transcription and summaries.
Try it live →
Coding
- GitHub Copilot
AI pair programmer that suggests code in your editor.
Try it live → - Cursor
AI-first code editor for building and refactoring fast.
Try it live → - Devv AI
Coding assistant with real-time suggestions and debugging.
Try it live → - Julius AI
AI data analyst — chat with data, build graphs, forecast.
Try it live →
Image Generation
- DALL·E 3
OpenAI model generating realistic images from text.
Try it live → - Midjourney
Acclaimed image generator known for artistic quality.
Try it live → - Adobe Firefly
Adobe's commercially-safe generative imaging suite.
Try it live → - Stable Diffusion
Open image model, usable via Stability's DreamStudio.
Try it live → - Canva Magic Studio
AI design tools built into Canva for quick visuals.
Try it live → - Vivago AI
Free platform for generating and editing visual content.
Try it live → - Gencraft AI
Turns text prompts into unique, captivating images.
Try it live →
Audio & Music
- ElevenLabs
Lifelike AI voice generation and text-to-speech.
Try it live → - Suno
Generate full original songs from a text prompt.
Try it live → - Udio AI
Turns text into high-quality, personalized music.
Try it live →
Video
- Runway
Leading generative video and creative editing suite.
Try it live → - Synthesia
Create studio-quality videos with AI avatars from text.
Try it live → - Elai.io
Generate professional videos from text inputs.
Try it live → - Zebracat AI
Transforms text into professional marketing videos.
Try it live →
Fun & Utilities
- Looka AI
Create custom logos and brand identities quickly.
Try it live → - Cleanup.pictures
Remove unwanted objects, people, and text from photos.
Try it live → - MemeCam AI
BLIP + GPT meme generator for fast, fun captions.
Try it live → - TripAdvisor AI
Generates personalized travel itineraries.
Try it live →
Meet the Team
Students teaching students
EngageAI was founded to address educational inequality in artificial intelligence.
Co-Founders & Leadership
Vihaan Kotahwala
Co-FounderDuke University student and Dalton School alumnus. Enjoys AI/CS learning, tennis, and reading.
Vedant Kotahwala
Co-Founder / Co-President10th-grader at Dalton with 4+ years of CS. Teaches at The Boys' Club of New York.
Sebastian Peláez-Synder
Co-PresidentDalton junior, third year of CS. Teaches at The Boys' Club of New York.
Austen Huang
Curriculum Development LeaderDalton sophomore. Teaches at The Boys' Club of New York.
Laila Sene
Co-Onboarding LeaderDalton sophomore, second-year CS. Teaches at Tompkins Square Middle School.
Kavi Mittal
Co-Onboarding LeaderDalton senior with CS, AI, and teaching experience. Teaches at The Boys' Club.
Kiran Maduraperuma
Outreach LeaderDalton 10th-grader. Plays soccer, track, and basketball.
Instructors
Saira Kapoor
InstructorDalton 10th-grader. Enjoys soccer and cooking.
Dhruv Shah
InstructorDalton sophomore, third year of CS. Plays basketball and lacrosse.
Alex Berman
InstructorDalton senior in CS, engineering, and environmental science. Teaches at Tompkins Square.
Shreyas Rajaram
InstructorDalton senior. Teaches at Tompkins Square. Enjoys violin and reading.
Saira Shah
InstructorDalton 11th-grader interested in science, math, CS, and AI.
Contact Us
Bring EngageAI to your community
Please contact us if you're interested in adding the EngageAI curriculum to your school or organization, joining the team, or for any other inquiries.
🏫 Schools & Organizations
Add the EngageAI curriculum to your classrooms.
🙋 Join the Team
Students who want to teach and build the curriculum.
💬 Other Inquiries
Partnerships, press, or general questions.