Press Release  New AI Curriculum Pilot to Reach 1,600 Massachusetts Students Across 30 School Districts

BOSTON — The Healey-Driscoll Administration today announced that the Massachusetts STEM Advisory Council and the Massachusetts Technology Collaborative are partnering with Project Lead The Way (PLTW) to develop and pilot components of an artificial intelligence (AI)-related curriculum in 30 school districts across Massachusetts.

“Massachusetts is a leader in innovation education because we know that our students are the next generation of problem-solvers and changemakers,” said Governor Maura Healey. “This pilot will give them hands-on opportunities to explore AI, strengthen their creativity and critical thinking, and prepare them to lead our state into the future.”

“From the Berkshires to the Cape, every student should have the chance to engage with the technologies shaping our world,” said Lieutenant Governor Kim Driscoll. “We continue to work to connect classrooms across Massachusetts to the innovation economy, ensuring that young people in all communities can see themselves as future scientists, engineers, entrepreneurs, and civic leaders.”

This new curriculum builds on the Future Ready: AI in the Classroom pilot, which provided professional development to educators earlier this year to prepare them for integrating AI into teaching and learning. Now, teachers who received training will be the first in the nation to pilot elements of PLTW’s AI curriculum.

In its first year, the pilot is expected to support 45 educators in 30 school districts, reaching approximately 1600 students across the state, giving students hands-on opportunities to explore the technologies shaping the future. The pilot is designed to expand in future years, creating pathways for more schools and educators to participate.

“This partnership is about more than piloting a new course—it’s about preparing students to think critically about the role of artificial intelligence in their lives and in our democracy,” said Education Secretary Dr. Patrick Tutwiler. By coupling educator training with a cutting-edge curriculum, we are equipping students with both the technical skills and the ethical grounding to use AI responsibly and creatively in college, careers, and civic life.”

“Massachusetts educators have several sources of support when it comes to AI, including efforts through the STEM Advisory Council, the Massachusetts Technology Collaborative and Project Lead The Way, as well as resources from the Department of Elementary and Secondary Education,” said Elementary and Secondary Education Commissioner Pedro Martinez. “We appreciate everyone’s work to help educators and students build their basic knowledge of AI.”

The course, focused on Principles of Artificial Intelligence, introduces students in grades 8 and up to foundational concepts, technologies, and societal implications of AI. Through hands-on activities, project-based learning, and ethical inquiry, students will explore how AI works, applications across fields like science, engineering, and biomedicine, and how to use AI tools—particularly large language models (LLMs)—to foster creativity, critical thinking, and responsible innovation. Designed as a semester-long course, no prior computer science experience is required.

“AI is transforming every sector of our economy, from life sciences to advanced manufacturing, and we want Massachusetts students to be ready to lead in that future,” said Economic Development Secretary and MassTech Board of Directors Chair Eric Paley. “By bringing AI education into classrooms across the state, we’re building a pipeline of innovators who can use these technologies responsibly and creatively. This pilot will help prepare our workforce, strengthen our competitiveness, and ensure that every student has the chance to participate in the innovation economy.”

“The new pilot program enables teachers across the state to introduce students to AI-related technology ensuring the next generation carry on the rich tradition of research and innovation Massachusetts is known for,” said Massachusetts AI Hub Director Sabrina Mansur. “Implementing the pilot program today guarantees a strong pipeline of talent and a long-term commitment to AI-driven economic growth in the Commonwealth for years to come.”

“We’ve reached a pivotal moment, where AI literacy is now foundational to every career path and academic discipline. We need to equip students to both understand and use it responsibly, creatively, and as a catalyst for innovation," said Dr. David Dimmett, PLTW President and CEO. "This partnership marks the next step in preparing students for the age of AI and will serve as a national model to help students understand and create safely, ethically and with purpose, while giving teachers the professional development and materials to implement with confidence."  

The new curriculum will also serve as a model that PLTW can share across its network of schools and partners nationwide. PLTW is a nonprofit organization that provides transformative learning experiences for PreK–12 students and teachers across the U.S. Through pathways in computer science, engineering, and biomedical science, PLTW empowers students to develop in-demand knowledge and skills necessary to thrive. Currently, more than 350 schools in Massachusetts use PLTW curriculum, and over 1500 teachers in the state have received PLTW professional development, reaching 65,000 students. Nationally, PLTW reaches millions of students across the nation.

By connecting this pilot to Massachusetts’ broader STEM education agenda—including its top-ranked K-12 system and recognition as the nation’s second most innovative state in education—the administration aims to ensure students across all backgrounds have access to cutting-edge learning opportunities that prepare them for success in a rapidly changing world.

Pilot School Districts:

1. Barnstable Public Schools
2. Webster Public Schools
3. Fall River Public Schools
4. Bourne Public School
5. Brockton Public Schools
6. Carver Public Schools
7. Revere Public Schools
8. Springfield Public Schools
9. Clinton Public Schools
10. Dedham Public Schools
11. Fitchburg Public Schools
12. Granby Public Schools
13. Holliston Public Schools
14. Hadley Public Schools
15. Boston Public Schools
16. Milford Public Schools
17. Millbury Public Schools
18. Southern Berkshire Regional School District
19. Mendon-Upton Regional School District
20. Sandwich Public Schools
21. Scituate Public Schools
22. Somerset Berkley Regional and Somerset Public Schools
23. Pittsfield Public Schools
24. Gill-Montague Regional School District
25. Uxbridge Public Schools
26. Walpole Public Schools
27. Wareham Public Schools
28. West Springfield Public Schools
29. Westfield Public Schools
30. Whitman-Hanson Regional School District 

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