STEM Summer Institute 2026

Explore aiEDU's proven approach to building communities of practice using AI literacy-focused curriculum and aiEDU’s AI Trailblazers Fellowship as a model. Examine aiEDU's AI Readiness Framework to identify the student competencies essential for AI literacy and readiness, and use it as a lens for evaluating curricular resources. Apply these competencies to analyze instructional practice, discuss strategies for replicating AI-focused CoPs in your own setting, and develop an actionable implementation plan.

This presentation details the application of the Rapid Forest Assessment protocol for systematically collecting and analyzing ecological data in a forest landscape. Participants will learn how to implement RFA as a citizen science collaboration with local public land managers. Data collected and organized by students can provide land managers with a clear, science-based assessment to evaluate the success of fire as a management tool, track ecosystem health, and make informed decisions for future landscape resilience. Participants will also learn about other STEM resources related to citizen science and the SMART FIRES project (Sensors, Machine Learning , and Artificial Intelligence for Real-Time Fire Science). Attendees will have the chance to win one of two Rapid Forest Assessment kits to take home with them.