Empowering the Next Generation with AI Skills: Preparing for the Black Rhinos Program

Hi everyone! I’m excited to share some news with you! Our team at AI Innovision is gearing up to work with the Black Rhinos Mentoring Program, and I can’t wait to get started. This initiative is all about helping 6th to 12th graders dive into the world of artificial intelligence (AI), giving them skills that will truly set them apart in the future job market. We believe that empowering the next generation with AI skills is a key to future success.

For those who aren’t familiar, let me briefly introduce you to the Black Rhinos Mentoring Program. The Black Rhinos Program is hosted by the Delta Mu Mu Chapter of Omega Psi Phi Fraternity, Inc. It’s dedicated to empowering young African-American males by providing them with educational support, mentorship, and real-world skills that help them academically and socially thrive. The program addresses the academic, social, and community challenges these students face, offering them guidance through cooperative learning circles, mentoring from successful professionals, and opportunities to work with industry experts.

Image courtesy of blackrhinosprogram.weebly.com

The program officially kicked off on September 14, 2024, and my team and I are ready to hit the ground running. Over the next eight weeks, we’ll introduce these amazing students to the power of AI, and we’re so excited to see how they’ll embrace these technologies and what they’ll create along the way. Empowering the next generation with AI skills isn’t just a mission for us; it’s about equipping them with the tools and knowledge they’ll need to thrive in the future.

Why AI Skills Matter for Future Jobs

AI is changing the way industries operate, from healthcare and finance to creative fields like art and music. More than ever, companies are looking for people who understand how to use AI and can apply it creatively and positively. And that’s exactly what we’re going to teach these students.

Our goal is to introduce the students to AI in a fun and creative way that will get them interested and excited to learn. We want them to see AI not just as a tool but as something that can spark their imagination and open up new possibilities for their future. Empowering the next generation with AI skills means equipping them to think beyond the ordinary, harness technology to innovate, and confidently shape their own paths in ways they may not have envisioned before.

What We’ll Be Teaching in the Black Rhinos Program

As we prepare to kick off the Black Rhinos Mentoring Program, our team has been working on crafting an exciting and engaging curriculum for the students. Here’s what we have planned:

• AI-Powered Digital Art Creation: For the first two weeks, we’ll introduce students to AI and use it to create digital images using tools like DALL-E and Ideogram. The goal is to let them create their own digital artwork and even explore how they can sell their AI-generated pieces online. It’s not just about learning AI; it’s about seeing the value in what they create.
• AI Music Production: Next, we’ll move on to AI music production. We’ll show the students how to use tools like Amper Music and Suno to create their music tracks, allowing them to experiment with genres and styles. AI gives them a creative outlet, but it also teaches them to think critically and explore the technical side of music creation.
• AI as an Academic Aid: In the third phase, we’ll focus on how AI can be used as a learning aid. Whether it’s using AI for homework, research, or creating personalized study plans, we want these students to walk away knowing how AI can make their academic journey smoother and more efficient.
• Final Showcase: Finally, we’ll help the students bring everything together in a final project, which they’ll present in a virtual showcase. It will be amazing to see what they come up with, and we can’t wait to celebrate their hard work and creativity.