Teens in AI

“It was an impactful experience for the teenagers, encouraging them to think critically, collaborate, and focus on changing the world for good in a way that felt different from traditional school learning. Seeing the teens engage, enjoy the process, and explore ideas they had not previously considered was particularly rewarding. While it required significant time and effort to organise … it was ultimately worthwhile due to the lasting impact on the students. It was inspiring to see the Thandulwazi teens show up, engage fully, and enjoy learning things they had never thought about before. Their enthusiasm and the quality of their final outputs were very encouraging. … The experience supported the development of key skills such as teamwork, networking, event planning, and interpersonal communication, and was considered hard work but deeply rewarding.”

Lulu B, an Educator from Johannesburg, South Africa

“The main motivation was to ensure that teenagers in underserved communities, such as Thohoyandou, are introduced to AI, which was exceeded. The experience was memorable and rewarding, particularly interacting with the teens and seeing their excitement about learning AI and developing their own solutions. Being part of something that creates lasting impact was a key highlight. I gained important skills, including understanding of technology and AI, … time management, and safeguarding practices. Overall, the first attempt was successful, and the experience was highly valued.”

Lungile M, Educator from the Kingdom of Eswatini