FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Contact: Brenda Miller
Email: bmiller@techcorps.org
COLUMBUS, Ohio (June 30, 2026) — On July 1, 2026, every Ohio public school district, community school, and STEM school was required to have a formal AI policy governing the use of artificial intelligence. While the new requirement establishes expectations for responsible AI use, it also raises an important question: What does AI education actually look like in a classroom?
For TECH CORPS, the answer is helping students and educators understand how AI works, where it falls short, and how to use it responsibly.
Recognizing this need before the statewide requirement, TECH CORPS adopted a policy and expanded its artificial intelligence programming to help students navigate AI. The organization’s programs build AI literacy through projects that emphasize responsible AI use, human oversight, ethical decision-making, data literacy, critical thinking, and career-connected applications.
“An AI policy is an important first step,” said Lisa M. Chambers, Chief Executive Officer of TECH CORPS. “But policies don’t prepare students for the future; people do. Students need opportunities to understand how artificial intelligence works, where it falls short, and how human judgment, creativity, and ethical decision-making remain essential. Educators need support, resources, and confidence to guide those conversations. That’s the work TECH CORPS has been preparing for.”
TECH CORPS expands access to the opportunities technology creates through hands-on, career-connected learning experiences. As part of its broader strategy to prepare students for an AI-enabled future, the organization is embedding artificial intelligence concepts and responsible AI practices across its 2026 program offerings. From elementary school through high school, students build age-appropriate technical skills, critical thinking, and career awareness while learning how AI is already transforming education, the workplace, and everyday life
At the high school level, Student TECH CORPS: Artificial Intelligence in central Ohio gives students opportunities to explore how AI models generate content while applying technical and ethical understanding to authentic, career-connected projects. Computing Career Corps incorporates AI concepts alongside programming, web development, game design, and technical support, helping students understand how emerging technologies are reshaping careers and the skills needed to succeed in them. Younger students build AI literacy through
Techie Camp’s Eco-Rangers and Smart Cities, where they investigate data, algorithms, and machine learning while solving community-based challenges. “I thought it was so cool that AI can learn from lots and lots of giraffe drawings, just like we did!” said Naomi Haefner, a third-grade student from Columbus who participated in a TECH CORPS AI lesson. “I learned that the more examples AI gets, the better it can tell what’s really a giraffe.”
Preparing students requires prepared educators. Through the TECH CORPS Teacher Leader Network, educators gain classroom-ready lessons, practical implementation strategies, and a professional network to navigate rapidly evolving technology together.
For Lindy Ross, K-5 STEAM teacher at Logan Elm Elementary School and a participant in the TECH CORPS Teacher Leader Network, that collaboration is one of the program’s greatest strengths.
“One of the biggest benefits has been connecting with other educators who are working through the same questions about AI,” Ross said. “The Teacher Leader Network gives us practical activities we can take back to our classrooms right away, while creating a community where we can continue sharing ideas and build curriculum together as technology evolves.”
TECH CORPS Chief Innovation Officer Kelli Shrewsberry recently wrote that students need more than access to AI tools. They need opportunities to question AI outputs, think critically, and understand why human judgment remains essential. That philosophy guides TECH CORPS’ approach to AI education and aligns with Ohio’s goal of helping schools implement AI thoughtfully and responsibly. Read the entire blog here, Beyond the Screen: Teaching Kids to Question AI in a Tech-Driven World
About TECH CORPS: TECH CORPS is a national nonprofit organization that delivers meaningful, career-connected technology programs to K–12 students and educators. Founded in 1995, TECH CORPS imagines a world where every student has the skills, confidence, and opportunities to unlock the door to a successful future.
Learn more at techcorps.org or connect with us on social media at @techcorpsUS.
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