Techsoup, in partnership with the Raspberry Pi Foundation, launches free educational resources to empower teachers to teach AI responsibly

Techsoup, in partnership with the Raspberry Pi Foundation, launched free, fully translated educational resources designed to help teachers responsibly educate students about artificial intelligence (AI). These new AI Safety lessons are part of the global Experience AI programme, co-developed by the Raspberry Pi Foundation and Google DeepMind, now available for use in Romanian schools.

The lessons cover key topics such as protecting personal data, identifying fake news, and responsible use of AI tools. They are suitable for middle and high school students across multiple subjects, including computer science, Romanian language, foreign languages, homeroom activities, and extracurricular programs like “Școala Altfel.”

Free online training courses available for Romanian teachers

Asociatia Techsoup has created four free online training courses for teachers who want to bring these resources to the classroom in the upcoming school year, available on the Future Teaching Course Platform: cursuri.predauviitor.ro

Over 700 teachers across different subjects – from computer science to Romanian language – have already completed these courses.

“Teachers want to address AI with their students and need confidence to do it well. That’s why we also created comprehensive training courses alongside the Experience AI materials. We are happy to see more meaningful conversations about AI starting in classrooms, but we also know this is just the beginning of a much longer process. We are committed to continue being there alongside our teachers while we all figure out how to better address this challenge and opportunity”, told us Evelina Selea, Program Manager of Asociația Techsoup.

AI is ubiquitous, but critical understanding is limited

“I never questioned AI, as long as it did my homework,” confessed one student participating in the post-lesson discussion during a premiere lesson in a Romanian school. Another added, “[The lesson activities] … put me in someone else’s shoes and made me think twice before giving my personal data.”

These insights emerged from a visit to a high school in a small town in Romania. Although students use AI applications daily, few question the veracity of the data they receive from these applications.

The urgency for AI education is underscored by the International Computer and Information Literacy Study (ICLIS, 2023), which showed that only 4% of students in Romania achieved level 3 proficiency, the level at which students can work independently when using computers as tools for collecting and managing information and are capable, for example, of recognizing that the credibility of web information can be influenced by the identity, expertise, and motives of the people who create, publish, and distribute it.

Experience AI is a global initiative offering resources in 17 languages, which have been downloaded by over 17,000 teachers worldwide and reached approximately 1.6 million students. Early impact assessments demonstrate the programme’s effectiveness: 95% of educators reported that Experience AI significantly enhanced their students’ understanding of AI concepts, while 90% of students stated they now have a clearer grasp of artificial intelligence and machine learning.

The three new AI safety lessons align with UNESCO’s AI Competency Framework and include:

• Detailed lesson plans with interactive, screen-free activities
• Educational videos explaining foundational AI concepts
• Guided discussions to develop critical thinking and digital resilience

All materials are free, fully translated into Romanian, and ready to use.