Frequently Asked Questions

Fill out the contact form on the Get Involved page or email us at hello@bostonpublic.ai. We're looking for senior technology leaders who want to make a meaningful contribution to AI education in Boston's public schools.

Membership is designed to be impactful, not burdensome. Members typically engage a few times per year — reviewing curriculum, attending a student event, or hosting a hackathon at their company. We work around your schedule.

The initiative is rooted in Boston, but we welcome technology leaders from anywhere who are committed to supporting BPS students and the broader Boston community.

Paul English's initial $1M investment funds AI teacher training at UMass Boston this summer, curriculum development through the Paul English Applied AI Institute, and program infrastructure to launch across 20 BPS high schools.

Teacher training begins summer 2026 at UMass Boston. Students in the 20 launch schools will begin the curriculum in the 2026–27 school year, with districtwide expansion to follow.

Yes! We are going to open source our entire project — including curriculum, server/service configuration, list of tools, budgets, and more. Stay tuned on our website and join our newsletter here.

We welcome that conversation. Reach out at hello@bostonpublic.ai and we'll discuss how your support can make a difference for BPS students.

This is one of the most important questions we hear — and it's one the advisory board takes seriously. Our curriculum is designed to teach students how to think alongside AI, not instead of it. Just as calculators didn't replace the need to understand math, AI tools don't replace the need for critical thinking, creativity, and judgment. We're building a program that develops those skills, with AI as a tool students learn to use thoughtfully and responsibly.

Some will try — and that's exactly why we believe it's better to educate students about AI than to pretend it doesn't exist. Teachers in the program will be trained to design assignments that require genuine thinking and can't simply be handed off to an AI. The goal is to prepare students for a world where AI is everywhere, and where knowing how to use it well — and ethically — is itself a valuable skill.

Assessment policies are set by BPS and individual schools, not by the advisory board. What we can say is that AI literacy includes understanding when it's appropriate to use AI and when it isn't — a distinction that matters in school and in the workplace. Part of our curriculum is helping students develop the integrity and judgment to make those calls.