Artificial intelligence (AI) is increasingly shaping how young people learn, create, and prepare for future careers. As AI becomes a larger part of everyday life, educators play a critical role in helping youth build the knowledge and skills needed to engage with these technologies thoughtfully and effectively. However, there is limited understanding of how prepared educators feel to support AI learning across different educational settings.

 

To address this gap, the National Girls Collaborative Project, in partnership with Ingenia Learning and STEM Next Opportunity Fund, launched Building AI Literacy for Inclusion in STEM with support from the AMD Foundation. The initiative explores the current state of AI literacy across both formal K-12 classrooms and out-of-school time (OST) learning environments, identifying the challenges educators face and opportunities to expand access to quality AI learning experiences.

 

This report shares findings from the initiative's national landscape study, launched in January 2026. Using a mixed-methods approach, the study combined survey responses from 552 education professionals working in K-12 and OST settings with insights from eight focus groups involving 47 educators and youth-serving professionals.

 

The findings provide a comprehensive look at how educators are currently using AI, the factors influencing adoption, the support and resources they need, and their perspectives on young people's readiness to engage with AI. Together, these insights offer actionable guidance for educators, organizations, funders, and policymakers working to ensure that all youth have opportunities to build AI literacy and prepare for an AI-enabled future.