{"id":1364,"date":"2026-02-24T19:37:08","date_gmt":"2026-02-24T19:37:08","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/ubwp.buffalo.edu\/playfulai\/?page_id=1364"},"modified":"2026-03-04T17:31:14","modified_gmt":"2026-03-04T17:31:14","slug":"ai-and-me-advancing-responsible-ai-literacy-for-young-children","status":"publish","type":"page","link":"https:\/\/ubwp.buffalo.edu\/playfulai\/ai-and-me-advancing-responsible-ai-literacy-for-young-children\/","title":{"rendered":"AI and Me: Advancing Responsible AI Literacy for Young Children"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

AI and Me: Advancing Responsible AI Literacy for Young Children<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
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Help design and test playful \u201cAI & Me\u201d Learning Kits with K\u20132 children, families, and teachers\u2014building early AI literacy, well-being, and responsible tech habits through community co-design. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Project description<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

AI is already part of kids\u2019 everyday lives\u2014showing up in the videos they watch, the apps they use, and the \u201csmart\u201d tools adults rely on. Yet most AI education is designed for older students, leaving families and early-grade teachers with few age-appropriate, trustworthy ways to help young children understand what AI is and how to engage with it responsibly. AI & Me responds to this gap by designing playful, care-centered learning experiences that help K\u20132 children build early AI understanding and digital confidence\u2014together with the adults who support them.

AI & Me is a research-and-design project that will create, pilot, and study developmentally appropriate \u201cAI & Me Learning Kits\u201d for children in kindergarten through Grade 2\u2014and for the educators and caregivers who guide them. For our pilot project in Spring 2026, we will use a design-based, community-engaged approach, researchers will partner with Buffalo Public School #99\u2019s after-school program and the Buffalo Urban League (BUL) to explore how young children currently think about \u201csmart\u201d technologies and what kinds of activities spark curiosity, reflection, and responsible decision-making. The project will involve after-class AI demonstrations, interactive workshops, and co-design sessions where children, families, and teachers test hands-on activities, share feedback, and iteratively improve the kit materials (e.g., story-based prompts, games, discussion routines, and simple design challenges).<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Project outcome<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

Students who join AI & Me will gain hands-on research experience across school and community settings, with clear, CV-ready outcomes. They will support key phases of data collection\u2014setting up and operating video\/audio equipment to capture child\u2013adult interactions, taking structured fieldnotes and reflections, and following IRB-aligned protocols for consent, documentation, and secure data handling. As the project moves into analysis, students will develop skills in video-based observation and coding, artifact content analysis, and data quality assurance (e.g., interrater checks and checklist validation). Students will also contribute to research-to-practice translation by helping create family- and educator-facing resources as part of the AI & Me Learning Kit. Depending on department guidelines, students may be eligible for academic credit. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Core partners<\/h2>\n\n\n\n