AI Education Initiative

Build AI skills from an early age

Related: Governance | AI Action Plan | AI in Schools | America's AI Vision

On April 23, 2025, President Donald J. Trump signed Executive Order "Advancing Artificial Intelligence Education for American Youth," creating new educational opportunities focused on AI, marking a significant shift in how American students prepare for future technology careers. The comprehensive initiative aims to build essential AI literacy and skills from an early age, positioning the United States to maintain its competitive edge in global technology development and prepare students for an AI-driven economy.

Key Components of the Initiative

The executive order establishes AI literacy, the ability to understand, use, and critically evaluate AI systems and their outputs, as a national educational priority across all grade levels. Rather than limiting AI studies to specialized elective courses, the order supports a transformative approach of integrating AI concepts throughout the core curriculum, from elementary through high school, ensuring all students develop fundamental AI competencies regardless of their career path.

This policy reflects the recognition of AI's essential role in education and workforce preparation. A bipartisan congressional report in December 2024 emphasized that "K-12 educators need resources to promote AI literacy" while noting that AI implementation must comply with labor and anti-discrimination laws to ensure equitable educational opportunities.

The order establishes a high-level White House Task Force on AI Education chaired by Michael Kratsios, Director of the Office of Science and Technology Policy, with participation from Education Secretary Linda McMahon, Labor Secretary Lori Chavez-DeRemer, Energy Secretary, Agriculture Secretary, and Special Advisor for AI and Crypto David Sacks, bringing together key stakeholders to ensure implementation nationwide.

This cross-departmental task force will:

• Implement the Presidential AI Challenge competition to spark innovation in educational AI applications in the classroom.
• Develop sustainable public-private partnerships for K-12 AI education, leveraging industry expertise.
• Enhance AI-related teaching methodologies while optimizing AI tools usage in classroom settings.
• Identify and reallocate existing federal funding streams that could support comprehensive AI programs.
• Monitor implementation progress and establish measurable benchmarks for success.

 

The order directs the Education Secretary to prioritize AI integration in discretionary grant funding for teacher professional development, specifically addressing preparation for effectively incorporating AI in classroom instruction and administrative tasks, ensuring educators are equipped with the necessary skills to lead AI-focused learning. A forward-looking provision directs structured collaboration between federal agencies to create accessible opportunities for high school students nationwide to participate in standardized AI courses and industry-recognized certification programs; credentials validated by employers that verify a student has mastered specific AI skills, creating clear pathways to AI careers.

 

Implementation And Timeline

While the executive order doesn't specify a comprehensive timeline, implementation will begin immediately with the formation of the White House Task Force on Artificial Intelligence Education. One of the most notable initiatives established by the order is the "Presidential AI Challenge", a nationwide competition for students and educators to demonstrate their AI skills. The administration has committed to establishing benchmarks and quarterly progress reports to track implementation success across diverse educational settings.

Within 90 Days

• A national Presidential AI Challenge must be designed to spotlight student and educator innovation.
• The Task Force must identify existing federal AI resources (like NSF's AI Research Institutes) to support schools.
• The Secretary of Education must issue guidance on how schools can use grant funding to integrate AI into tutoring, curriculum, and career prep.
• Existing federal research programs must be aligned with AI education goals.

 

Within 120 Days

• AI must be prioritized in teacher training programs funded by the federal government.
• The NSF and the Secretary of Agriculture must fund research and programs that help educators bring AI into classrooms (including through 4-H).
• The Department of Labor must launch new AI-related Registered Apprenticeships and use workforce funding to train youth in AI skills.
• High schools should be encouraged to offer dual enrollment AI certification programs.
• AI education must become a focus area for federal fellowships and scholarships.

 

Within 12 Months

The first Presidential AI Challenge must take place. "The Challenge shall feature multiple age categories, distinct geographic regions for competition, and a variety of topical themes of competition to reflect the breadth of AI applications, encouraging interdisciplinary exploration."

 

"The Trump administration believes that AI will have countless revolutionary applications, economic innovation, job creation, national security, healthcare, free expression, and beyond, and to restrict its development now would not only unfairly benefit incumbents in this space, it would mean paralyzing one of the most promising technologies that we've seen in generations."

Executive Order

The Executive Order states:

AI is rapidly transforming the modern world, driving innovation across industries, enhancing productivity, and reshaping the way we live and work. To ensure the United States remains a global leader in this technological revolution, we must provide our Nation's youth with opportunities to cultivate the skills and understanding necessary to use and create the next generation of AI technology. By fostering AI competency, we will equip our students with the foundational knowledge and skills necessary to adapt to and thrive in an increasingly digital society. Early learning and exposure to AI concepts not only demystifies this powerful technology but also sparks curiosity and creativity, preparing students to become active and responsible participants in the workforce of the future and nurturing the next generation of American AI innovators to propel our Nation to new heights of scientific and economic achievement.

To achieve this vision, we must also invest in our educators and equip them with the tools and knowledge to not only train students about AI, but also to utilize AI in their classrooms to improve educational outcomes. Professional development programs focused on AI education will empower educators to confidently guide students through this complex and evolving field. Educators, industry leaders, and employers who rely on an AI-skilled workforce should partner to create educational programs that equip students with essential AI skills and competencies across all learning pathways. While AI education in kindergarten through twelfth grade (K-12) is critical, our Nation must also make resources available for lifelong learners to develop new skills for a changing workforce. By establishing a strong framework that integrates early student exposure with comprehensive teacher training and other resources for workforce development, we can ensure that every American has the opportunity to learn about AI from the earliest stages of their educational journey through postsecondary education, fostering a culture of innovation and critical thinking that will solidify our Nation's leadership in the AI-driven future.