March 3, 2026 – The CREATE Lab at Carnegie Mellon University, the STEM Coding Lab and Valley School of Ligonier will team up to help students better understand artificial intelligence through the AI Fluency Pilot Project. The project aims to move AI education beyond simple tool usage to provide students with a deep, foundational understanding of how AI works; its ethical implications; and its impact on society. Funded by a grant from the Richard King Mellon Foundation, the AI Fluency Pilot Project will support the co-design and implementation of 20 in-class AI modules for students in grades one through five in Allegheny and Westmoreland counties.

 

While 92% of modern jobs require digital literacy, Code.org's 2024 report shows that only 13% of Pennsylvania elementary schools offer computer science education. The AI Fluency Pilot Project addresses this gap by establishing a research-informed curriculum to meet the needs in Title I schools and underserved communities. "Many existing approaches to AI education focus on how to use specific tools or prompt engineering. These are useful and necessary, but students want much more — they want to know how to navigate the AI future no matter how it evolves," said Illah Nourbakhsh, a professor in the Robotics Institute at CMU's School of Computer Science and director of the CREATE Lab. "AI fluency means students are thinking deeply about context, limitations and human-centered values. We are asking, 'How did we get here? Where are we going? And how do we prepare students to maintain human values in an ever-changing world?'"

 

Valley School of Ligonier’s technology teachers, Ruth Barton and Reneé Moore, are excited to be part of the Al Fluency Pilot Project. “When one of my second grade students complained that her family’s electric-powered vehicle was creating frustration because its outdated GPS maps were causing them to get lost on the way to extracurricular activities and on road trips, it sparked classroom discussions about how AI and technology play a role in our daily lives," Barton said. "This student-led conversation inspired me to teach machine learning concepts to our youngest learners. This project will educate our students on how the latest AI technology can solve real-world problems like the second grader experienced while helping the children understand the social and ethical impacts those decisions have on society.”

 

“Partnering with the CMU CREATE Lab and STEM Coding Lab to pilot these modules will prepare our students for careers of the future by guiding them to think critically, responsibly and creatively about how technology shapes the world aroud them, in alignment with three of our school’s core values: building community, embracing integrity and seeking wisdom," Moore

said.

The Al Fluency Pilot Project collaboration combines CMU’s world-class research and pedagogical expertise with STEM Coding Lab’s (SCL) proven track record of regional delivery. The CREATE Lab applies technology and collaboration to tackle societal concerns, including enhancing classroom learning. Since 2017, STEM Coding Lab has grown from serving 15 students to reaching over 4,300 K-8 students annually. Today, the organization delivers more than 180 classes per week in 30 locations across Allegheny County. "Thanks to this strategic Richard King Mellon Foundation grant, SCL’s partnership with the CREATE Lab has the potential to position Pittsburgh as a national model for how early AI fluency education can be designed, evaluated and delivered to students with the greatest need," said STEM Coding Lab CEO Melissa Fuller. "This initiative aligns with SCL’s commitment to educational equity, early intervention and creating lasting opportunities for K-8 children across Southwestern Pennsylvania."

The AI Fluency Pilot Project will produce:

● Curricular requirements study: The study will map alignment goals to Pennsylvania’s Science, Technology and Engineering, Environmental Literacy, and Sustainability Standards and Computer Science Teachers Association standards for computer science.

● 20 classroom modules: Specific activities for grades one through five focused on the mechanics, ethics and environmental impacts of AI.

● Evaluation instruments: Validated tools for researchers to assess AI fluency through direct engagement with learners and teaching staff. 

 

By intervening early, the project ensures that students in Pittsburgh’s high-need communities won't be structurally excluded from the economic and academic opportunities created by the AI revolution.

 

The Community Robotics, Education and Technology Empowerment Lab (CREATE Lab) explores socially meaningful innovation and deployment of robotic technologies. The CREATE Lab aims to empower a technologically fluent generation — defined as the confidence to author and creatively configure technology to pursue individual and collective goals.

 

STEM Coding Lab is a 501 (c)(3) nonprofit organization founded in 2017 with the mission of providing K-8 children living in underserved communities with CS/AI/STEM skills needed to succeed in a digital economy. SCL delivers 180+ classes every week across more than 30 schools and institutions to more than 4,300 K-8 children. Programming is primarily delivered during the school day (70%) and after school (15%), with the remainder through summer camps and special events. SCL’s educators deliver an experiential, hands-on learning model grounded in robotics and game design. More than 80% of participating students are eligible for Title I federal free lunch, and SCL has maintained a 100% retention rate among its school partners. For more information, visit our website www.stemcodinglab.org, or email info@stemcodinglab.org

 

Founded in 1947, the Richard King Mellon Foundation is the largest foundation in Southwestern Pennsylvania, and one of the 50 largest in the world. The Foundation’s 2024 year-end net assets were $3.1 billion, and its Trustees in 2024 disbursed more than $155 million in grants and program-related investments. The Foundation focuses its funding on six primary program areas, delineated in its 2021-2030 Strategic Plan.