The Massachusetts High School Summer Career Academy in AI was launched in summer 2025 as a pilot initiative, engaging 50 high school students. These students were drawn from eight sending districts, with priority given to schools located in Gateway Cities or those that are part of regional consortia.
The program was hosted in partnership with the Massachusetts AI Hub, the Innovation Institute at MassTech and Burlington public schools.
Students from grades 9-12 were introduced to the fundamental concepts of AI and gained a deeper understanding of how AI is used to build generative AI models, fight diseases, power self-driving cars, guide business decisions and more. Students also learned programing AI using Python and had the opportunity to discuss ethics and bias within AI. To cap this student immersion, students were tasked to complete group projects that apply AI to a discipline like health care, astronomy, finance, among others.
Program Highlights
- Hands-on learning in AI fundamentals
- Mentorship from industry and college interns
- Career skills workshops
- Pilot student learning modules
- A showcase event where students presented AI solutions to real-world problems
Impact
- Engaged 50 students from eight districts
- Collaborated with five industry partners
- Employed two college interns as subject matter experts and near-peer role models
- Expanded student's professional social networks and career awareness
This initiative aims to cultivate early interest in AI, expand access to high-quality STEM opportunities, and develop a more inclusive pipeline of future AI talent. The program not only empowers the next generation of innovators, but also engages students in collaborative projects and exposes them to career pathways in AI. It also strengthens the Massachusetts AI Hub’s long-term goal of building a diverse, homegrown workforce to support the state’s leadership in ethical and applied AI.