Posted: October 10, 2024
Recently, a group of twenty Pennsylvania 4-H'ers had the unique opportunity to visit Google's Pittsburgh office. While there, they presented their STEM and AI-related projects to volunteer Googlers, who provided insightful feedback to help further develop their ideas. In an exciting surprise, Sundar Pichai, CEO of Google, and Maggie Johnson, Global Head and Vice President of Google.org, made an appearance to meet and encourage the 4-H'ers.
Attendee Reed Messer, who is a 4-H'er in Allegheny County, found a way to share his love of horseback riding in the Metaverse using virtual and augmented reality. "The Google event was a great success, and I loved having a ton of fun," said Messer. "Not only was it a huge opportunity for me but also for many others. I think that the actual headquarters was awesome with how they laid it out. Over all, it was an amazing experience and, if I ever got the chance, I would do it again."
"Over the last few years, we've really tried to tie any of our projects in 4-H to STEM," explained Allegheny County 4-H educator Matthew Crutchman, using the acronym for science, technology, engineering, and math.
Another attendee, Avery Goazinger, focused on the potential harms of technology, especially mental health. Daejour Pinckney, a student and defensive end at Westinghouse Academy in Pittsburgh, talked about how he used AI and robotics to paint the white yard lines on his school's football practice field.
The event in Pittsburgh was a part of Google's broader national initiative to support the development of AI curriculum to meet the needs of educators and youth, with a focus on teaching foundational AI skills, how to use AI responsibly, and how to leverage the technology to boost productivity and learning.
Through this initiative, Google has committed $5.3 million to the National 4-H Council, which will expand AI programming nationally and at the local level in 10 states: Colorado, Iowa, Indiana, Florida, North Carolina, Nebraska, Ohio, South Carolina, Utah, and Pennsylvania.
National 4-H Council will subgrant $250,000 to Pennsylvania 4-H to support rural students and educators as they learn to use AI effectively in the classroom and workplace through the Connected Communities AI and Agriculture Initiatives program. The program is designed to introduce youth to the transformative applications of Artificial Intelligence across various industries, including specialized fields such as turf management. Participants will collaborate with community innovators through engaging workshops, student summits, and special interest projects to explore how AI can revolutionize future career opportunities. The organization will also offer Generative AI for Educators, a two-hour, self-paced course designed to help educators save time and enhance student learning with generative AI tools.
"Google has proudly called Pennsylvania home for over 15 years, with an office in Pittsburgh," said Maggie Johnson, Vice President, Google.org. "We're committed to Pennsylvania's students and their future. Through our support for 4-H, we're proud to provide young people across the state with foundational AI skills to help them reach their full potential and access new opportunities."
