Advancing AI Literacy Through Academic Innovation and Early Engagement
Provost’s vision positions artificial intelligence as a core competency across FAMU’s academic pipeline
Youth AI Summit 2.0: Future Forward exemplified Florida A&M University’s (FAMU) Division of Academic Affairs’ commitment to embedding emerging technologies, ethical inquiry, and experiential learning across the academic continuum, from pre-collegiate engagement to graduate and professional pathways.
Coordinated by FAMU Provost Allyson Watson, Ph.D., in partnership with the Jack and Jill of America, Inc., Tallahassee Chapter, the summit served as a strategic academic pipeline initiative aligned with the University’s priorities in innovation, interdisciplinary learning, and workforce readiness. Hosted on the FAMU Developmental Research School (FAMU DRS) campus, the event intentionally positioned artificial intelligence (AI) not as a standalone topic, but as a cross-cutting academic competency essential to student success in a rapidly evolving global economy.
Under the leadership of the Division of Academic Affairs, the summit reinforced FAMU’s
approach to future-ready education by integrating AI literacy, ethical reasoning,
financial acumen, and leadership development into applied, student-centered learning
experiences. Students in grades 6–12 engaged in short-cycle, high-impact learning
modules designed to mirror university-level pedagogical practices, emphasizing inquiry,
collaboration, and problem-solving.
The Youth AI Summit is preparing today's students for the future of technology. (Photo
by Felix Salter)
STREAM Robotics students from FAMU DRS served as student ambassadors, modeling leadership,
academic engagement, and technological fluency. Their participation reflected the
University’s strategic focus on cultivating talent early, strengthening preparation
for STEM-aligned degree pathways and reinforcing a culture of academic excellence
long before matriculation.
The summit’s academic framing was further strengthened through collaboration with the FAMU Cyber Policy Institute, whose executive director, Darryl Scriven, Ph.D., delivered the keynote address. His remarks underscored the importance of ethical AI development, informed research practices and policy awareness, themes that align with FAMU’s research mission and its responsibility as a public, land-grant institution.
“Supporting and promoting artificial intelligence in education is essential to preparing students for the world they will inherit,” Watson said. “By embedding AI literacy, ethical decision-making, and innovation across our academic ecosystem, we are positioning FAMU students to lead, adapt and thrive in an increasingly complex global society.”
Through interactive stations focused on robotics, drones, VEX technology, digital design, AI-informed research, ethics and creative applications, the summit operationalized the Division of Academic Affairs’ strategic goals related to experiential learning, interdisciplinary collaboration and applied scholarship. The INNOVATE framework reinforced areas that span from imagination to empowerment, amplified institutional priorities centered on analytical reasoning, adaptability, and leadership, competencies central to student achievement, persistence and post-graduation success.
Youth AI Summit 2.0 reflected Academic Affairs’ broader vision: to ensure FAMU students are not only consumers of emerging technologies, but ethical innovators and leaders prepared to shape the future of their disciplines and communities. By aligning early exposure with University-level academic values, FAMU continues to strengthen its role as a national leader in inclusive, forward-thinking education.
Media Contact
Rachel James-Terry
Senior Director of Strategic Communications
rachel.jamesterry@famu.edu
Deidre Williams
Director of Communications
Office of the Provost
deidre.williams@famu.edu
