Fresno State has been awarded a National Science Foundation FINDERS FOUNDRY grant to help transform AI from a niche technical skill to a foundational literacy for all students.
The project brings together Fresno State, Patterson Joint Unified School District, Fresno Unified School District and the community to develop the “FINDERS AI Learning Foundry: Educator-Led and Community Co-Designed AI Literacy Innovation for K–12 Education.” If successful, the model could ultimately be adopted by school districts nationwide.
The $50,000, two-month planning grant, one of 50 awarded across the country, convenes researchers, technologists, educators and parents to identify barriers to AI literacy through stakeholder listening sessions and community workshops. It builds on Fresno State’s leadership in artificial intelligence, engineering and education to develop community-centered approaches to AI education.
The leadership team includes Fresno State faculty Dr. Swati Mehta, assistant professor of educational technology, who will serve as researcher and project coordinator, and Dr. Hovannes Kulhandjian, professor of electrical and computer engineering, serving as technologist.
“This award strengthens Fresno State’s national presence,” said Dr. Gil Harootunian, executive director for University Initiatives. “Dr. Mehta and Dr. Kulhandjian are poised to develop a prototype that can transform the use of AI in elementary schools.”
Mehta and Kulhandjian are joined by Garrett Main, a Fresno Unified career and technical education teacher, and Avelina Peraza, a mother of three children in the Patterson Joint Unified School District, who is actively involved in parent education programs for computer skills.
“The co-design approach is at the heart of the FINDERS AI Learning Foundry grant. It recognizes that the most effective educational innovations are created with communities, not for them,” Mehta said. “This project brings together educators, parents and researchers to collaboratively identify local challenges, shape design decisions and validate future learning innovations, creating AI literacy solutions that are relevant, practical and scalable across a range of K-12 classrooms. This model ensures future AI learning opportunities reflect community priorities while preparing students with the knowledge and skills needed to thrive in an AI-driven world.”
During the two-month planning process, the team will work with educators, students and families to identify barriers to AI literacy and co-design frameworks that integrate AI learning into K–12 classrooms through high-impact teaching practices, including gamified learning, robotics, simulations and creative problem-solving. The ethical use of AI will be a central theme woven into the instruction through interactive storytelling and classroom activities.
A key focus is early exposure to AI to build curiosity, understanding and readiness for future careers.
“Artificial intelligence will increasingly shape how students learn, communicate and solve problems throughout their lives,” Kulhandjian said. “Through this project, we aim to move beyond simply teaching students about AI technologies and instead create engaging, hands-on learning experiences that combine robotics, simulations, creative problem-solving and ethical reasoning. By bringing together educators, parents, researchers and technologists, we hope to develop practical and scalable approaches that make AI literacy accessible to all students and prepare the next generation to understand, use and responsibly shape the AI technologies that will influence nearly every aspect of society. ”
Before these pilot programs are implemented, educators, students, parents, researchers and technologists will have the opportunity to provide feedback to refine, revise or redirect the proposed innovations.
If selected as one of the 20 teams to move forward, the project team will be eligible for an additional $300,000 award to implement and pilot these innovations during the next phase, culminating in a public showcase where teams present their work for broader adoption nationwide.
Fresno Unified is an ideal testing ground, as it is the third largest school district in California, serving 67,819 students, including 58,914 who are socioeconomically disadvantaged.
The Patterson Joint Unified School District, which serves 6,200 students, complements Fresno Unified’s urban perspective and brings a strong culture of collaboration among educators, families and community partners. This commitment to preparing students for future learning and workforce opportunities makes an ideal setting for project planning, Kulhandjian said.
The U.S. National Science Foundation is an independent federal agency that supports science and engineering in all 50 states and U.S. territories, promotes the progress of science, secures national defense and advances national health, prosperity and welfare. Their mission is largely fulfilled through research grants to America’s colleges and universities.
The National Science Foundation FINDERS FOUNDRY program aligns with national priorities, including Executive Order 14277, “Advancing Artificial Intelligence Education for American Youth” and the CHIPS and Science Act of 2022.
