Beginnings: XAI: EXperiential Learning in AI/ML for Future Innovators

About This Grant

Artificial Intelligence (AI) and Machine Learning (ML) are rapidly transforming industries and are expected to drive more technological progress over the next decade than witnessed in the past century. Future careers in sectors such as healthcare, cybersecurity, logistics, and advanced analytics will require a strong foundational knowledge of AI/ML, with job growth in these fields projected to outpace that of many other occupations significantly. This shift in workforce demand underscores the need for structured retraining and upskilling programs, particularly at the early stages of higher education. To meet these workforce needs, our project will offer a structured continuum of experiential learning activities that combine academic instruction with practical, hands-on training in real-world AI/ML environments. These activities are designed to prepare learners at the beginning of their academic or technical training journey, ensuring alignment between educational content and workforce expectations. The project’s evaluation will generate a roadmap of experiential learning models that can inform scalable, high-impact approaches to AI/ML workforce development. The goal of this project is to prepare cohorts in early-career stages with foundational and applied skills in AI/ML, enabling them to pursue technology-focused careers across various sectors. The program follows a structured academic-industry model consisting of three modules: a semester-long AI/ML course focused on core principles and hands-on projects using tools like Jupyter notebooks; a semester-long internship with industry partners- Potentia Analytics and Securin, to apply learned skills to real-world AI/ML problems in healthcare and cybersecurity domains; and a professional development component offering mentorship, guest lectures, career workshops, and exposure to industry environments. Students will be recruited from community colleges and undergraduate institutions, particularly those at the beginning stages of their academic and technical education. Through this integrated experience, participants will develop both technical competencies and professional readiness, bridging the gap between academic learning and workforce expectations. The ExLENT Program, supported by the NSF TIP and EDU Directorates, seeks to support experiential learning opportunities for individuals to increase their interest in and access to career pathways in emerging technology fields. This award reflects NSF's statutory mission and has been deemed worthy of support through evaluation using the Foundation's intellectual merit and broader impacts review criteria.