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AI education boost: Partnership to build GenAI experiences for schools

UNSW Sydney

Day of AI Australia and UNSW Sydney project to improve AI literacy programs in Australian schools after being selected in Google.org initiative

 

• Day of AI Australia and UNSW selected to receive a share of $30 million and pro bono support from Google.org to build new GenAI tools for students and teachers
• Support will see hands-on AI experiences developed and delivered to Australian school students
• AI literacy is rapidly becoming one of the most in-demand skills, but it’s not currently part of the national curriculum.

 

Artificial Intelligence is increasingly powerful and pervasive – but are we equipping the next generation of Australians with the right tools and knowledge to embrace it safely and ethically? Without hands-on experience using AI, guided by informed teachers, young Australians risk becoming passive users rather than capable creators.

According to a recent report, up to 1.3 million workers – that’s around 9 per cent of Australia’s workforce – will be affected by AI by 2030. This shift comes alongside the creation of hundreds of thousands of new roles driven by emerging technologies.

To bridge the education gap, Day of AI Australia in partnership with UNSW Sydney, will provide a free, hands-on AI literacy program for school students and teachers across the country. The partnership enables workforce readiness by equipping students with the knowledge, confidence, and practical experience they need to thrive in an AI-powered future. The initiative aims to ensure Australia is not just a user of AI - but a global leader in developing and ethically deploying it.

Director of Studies (Computer Science) and Co-Head of the Computing and Education research group at UNSW’s School of Computer Science and Engineering, Dr Jake Renzella, will lead a team to develop new hands-on AI experiences for students.

“We want to empower teachers and students with the tools and knowledge to use AI responsibly and creatively,” said Dr Renzella. “Participating in the Generative AI Accelerator will help us to build engaging, hands-on learning experiences that bring generative AI out of the abstract.”

As the only Australian recipient, the Day of AI-UNSW partnership will receive funding and technical expertise as part of Google.org’s Generative AI Accelerator program. The global initiative donates to organisations using generative AI to address major societal challenges.

The support will allow the team to expand their reach and co-develop new interactive AI experiences for children that are safe, engaging, ethical and educational. It will also facilitate professional learning opportunities for teachers and boost Day of AI Australia’s device donation program for schools and students in need.

 

“This is about giving young Australians the opportunity to shape the AI-powered world they’re growing up in,” said Day of AI Australia Program Director, Natasha Banks. “By helping students understand what AI is, how it works, and its limitations, we’re giving them the tools to use it safely and creatively.”

Google.org Australia’s Senior Program Manager, Marie Efstathiou, said Day of AI Australia's work alongside UNSW proves how generative AI can be a game-changer for tackling some of our biggest social challenges.

“Their programs are about actively working towards a fairer and more innovative future for everyone,” she said. “By equipping Australian students and teachers with essential AI skills and hands-on experiences, they are directly boosting confidence and addressing the need for AI literacy in a rapidly evolving world. We are proud to support their efforts to prepare the next generation to not only understand AI, but to actively leverage it for positive change."

 

About Day of AI: Day of AI Australia provides free foundational AI literacy programs to students in Years 1 to 10. Since launching in partnership with UNSW in 2022, the program has reached more than 100,000 students nationwide. Day of AI focuses on reaching students in government schools, those in regional areas, First Nations children, and those from low-socioeconomic areas.

 

About UNSW’s Computing and Education research group: Technology’s impact on education is vast and ever evolving. At the UNSW Computing and Education research group, experts are exploring, creating and driving technology’s effect on teaching and learning. The group has worked with millions of students, enabling hands on experiences to better support education in areas such as artificial intelligence, data science and cybersecurity.

 

Contact details:

Interviews, stills and b-roll material available on request. Please contact:

 

Ashleigh Steele

Communications Officer, UNSW Sydney

0421 308 805

[email protected]