{"id":251828,"date":"2025-07-21T16:34:03","date_gmt":"2025-07-21T20:34:03","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/operationhope.org\/?p=251828"},"modified":"2025-07-21T16:37:28","modified_gmt":"2025-07-21T20:37:28","slug":"operation-hope-georgia-state-universitys-inaugural-ailp%c2%b3-summer-camp-empowers-atlanta-youth-with-ai-literacy-skills-to-bridge-the-opportunity-gap","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/operationhope.org\/operation-hope-georgia-state-universitys-inaugural-ailp%c2%b3-summer-camp-empowers-atlanta-youth-with-ai-literacy-skills-to-bridge-the-opportunity-gap\/","title":{"rendered":"Operation HOPE & Georgia State University\u2019s Inaugural AILP\u00b3 Summer Camp Empowers Atlanta Youth with AI Literacy Skills to Bridge the Opportunity Gap"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

ATLANTA–(BUSINESS WIRE<\/a>)–The first-ever AI Literacy Pipeline to Prosperity Project (AILP\u00b3) summer camp successfully wrapped last week, marking a major milestone in a new effort to bridge the digital and economic divide for underserved youth and laying the foundation for future national expansion.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

AILP\u00b3 is a pioneering initiative co-led by Operation HOPE and its AI Ethics Council (a HOPE Initiative), and Georgia State University\u2019s J. Mack Robinson College of Business. It aims to inspire K\u201312 students from underserved communities by providing pathways to college and opportunities in an artificial intelligence workforce.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The week-long summer camp, held from July 7\u201311 at Georgia State University\u2019s Robinson College of Business, was the first in-person activation of AILP\u00b3. Nearly 40 rising 9th\u201311th graders took part in immersive, hands-on activities that included AI literacy bootcamps, design-thinking sprints, mentorship from local tech leaders, and opportunities to develop AI-driven prototypes. To align with Operation HOPE\u2019s mission of promoting economic empowerment through financial literacy, the camp concluded with a themed hackathon where students applied their new skills to create AI-powered solutions for financial challenges faced by people at all stages of life.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Students joined from Atlanta Public Schools and other metro-Atlanta school districts and from youth organizations such as the Boys and Girls Club of Metro Atlanta, Junior Achievement of Georgia, and the YMCA of Metro Atlanta.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cDuring that week on Georgia State\u2019s campus, I didn\u2019t just learn how to build a bot. I built confidence. I didn\u2019t just attend a career panel. I saw myself in the people speaking. And I didn\u2019t just submit a group project. I discovered my purpose,\u201d said 16-year-old Zion Moore, a participant in the camp.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Dr. Jen Bailey, Robinson\u2019s associate dean for undergraduate programs, led the curriculum design and program delivery for the AILP\u00b3 camp. A multidisciplinary team of Georgia State faculty, with expertise in innovation, finance, technology, education, and entrepreneurship, also taught the students, as well as industry experts from Atlanta\u2019s AI ecosystem.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cIt was exciting to collaborate with our GSU faculty and industry partners to shape every element of this experience, from program curriculum to student engagement, and to create such a transformative opportunity for these high school students to develop and deepen their AI literacy skills,\u201d Bailey said. \u201cTheir curiosity, creativity, and drive made this inaugural cohort a powerful reminder of what\u2019s possible when we invest early in the next generation of innovators.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Noting the broader mission of AILP\u00b3<\/strong>, Brian Betts, President and CFO of Operation HOPE, said, \u201cWith AILP\u00b3 and our inaugural summer camp, we\u2019re planting the seeds of innovation and economic mobility where they\u2019re needed most. Georgia State has been an exceptional lead partner in designing and executing the pilot, and we\u2019re equally grateful to the original coalition of thought leaders, from the AI Ethics Council to Atlanta\u2019s HBCUs, who helped shape this vision from the beginning.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

About AILP\u00b3<\/p>\n\n\n\n