Designing AI for Social Good: Critical AI Literacy in a Culturally Grounded Youth Curriculum

• In Event: AERA Roundtable Session Friday 11:45 am - Gold 4
  In Roundtable Session: Communities, Care, and Co-Design for Inclusive Learning

Abstract

This study examines the design and implementation of the D3 (Decode, Discover, Design) curriculum, a culturally relevant AI and data literacy program for middle school students. Sixty students from a low-SES, predominantly Hispanic school in the southern United States participated in a five-unit intervention grounded in the community context of the Fiesta festival. Mixed methods findings revealed significant gains in students’ AI knowledge and attitudes, alongside evidence of critical AI literacy, student agency, and civic engagement. Students used NLP tools to analyze local sentiment data and created digital artifacts addressing community issues. The study demonstrates the potential of culturally relevant computing and AI for social good, offering a transferable model for community-anchored, equity-focused AI education.

Authors

• Hyejeong Lee, University of Texas - San Antonio

• Suraj Bandela, University of Texas - San Antonio

• James Hernandez, Harlandale ISD

• Tiffany Emanuel, University of Texas - San Antonio