Another thought regarding AI and education in poor countries: the World Bank recently reported really cool results from a six week experiment in Nigeria. Students who used AI tutors with careful teacher supervision experienced about two years worth of education gains in English and digital literacy skills. Their full paper isn’t out yet, but their initial report offers some really encouraging findings for AI in education!
A project through a partnership with "Back to Basics Education" (non-profit in Dayton, Ohio), Synota.io (digital finance company enabling pathway to donations), and Renewvia Energy Africa.
We are starting small with a project in Ozuzu Nigeria. We have obtained donation of money for a microgrid to supply power to a portion of the village including a school and a hospital.
The donation is paying for computers and AI data costs. I will be providing the AI facilitated education technology (accessible on-line). I will have a functioning website today. I am putting the last touches to it. I also have a person on the ground who will be the eyes and ears with the youth (the teacher). I will share with you when it becomes active.
We should be going in two months.
Ultimately the aim is to show that we can lift up youth faster to income, we can enable them to earn incomes and thus have a source of financial return to the project.
If you haven't seen this article, it is startling. 6 weeks of AI education (after school) = 2 years of traditional education
I can speak about how AI impacted learning in my classes last year. I've never experienced even close to the learning I achieved as a result of AI integration.
I'm excited to begin my test in Nigeria. I don't want - and couldn't even if I wanted to - to do a study to measure the difference in learning using AI vs not using AI.
I've built these three tools to facilitate empowerment and education.
1. Community Research Assistant
Purpose: Helps communities gather local insights through online research and conversations with residents. It builds a plan for AI education that supports the productive use of new energy infrastructure.
Impact: Ideal for newly powered towns or villages seeking to accelerate local development through education and technology.
Purpose: A learning assistant that teaches coding, front-end/back-end development, and IT concepts in a hands-on, feedback-driven way. It tracks progress and confirms when a learner has successfully completed a session.
Impact: Designed for youth who may not thrive in traditional education but are ready to build real, marketable skills.
Purpose: Simulates real-world tech consulting situations to train users in both problem-solving and intercultural communication. Evaluates technical and cultural competence.
Impact: Especially useful for preparing youth in the Global South to engage confidently with international clients and opportunities.
As an educator at the University of Dayton in 2023 (Mechanical Engineering / Renewable Energy), I had the pleasure to have 3 Ghanian students as interns in Dayton. Early in the summer, we had a conversation about AI. I asked if they were using AI. I can honestly say that very few of the students at my university were, and I was one of only a couple of faculty encouraging its use. Their emphatic response was "Yes!" They went on to say that "every student in their country that had access to internet and a computer was using ChatGPT. I asked why. They said "Hope!"
I am working with two organizations to build into solar microgrid projects in Kenya, Nigeria, and Gambia computers with AI facilitated education. The linkage is essential. Bringing power to 'unpowered' communities is not currently a solid investment. Roughly 50% of the costs have to be supported by donations. Thus, they aren't able to scale. The AI education we will soon be delivering in Ozuzu, Nigeria focuses on helping young people develop IT skills fast to enable a pathway to income. With income the investment has the potential for paying back. With payback we will have the potential to gain investment.
I am looking to open source my AI learning technology (leapfrog AI education) to help make this happen.
That's fascinating! I'll be writing on how I think the dreams of AI-facilitated education have the biggest potential in developing countries. The Gambia will be one of my examples! Would love to know more about what you're doing.
Another thought regarding AI and education in poor countries: the World Bank recently reported really cool results from a six week experiment in Nigeria. Students who used AI tutors with careful teacher supervision experienced about two years worth of education gains in English and digital literacy skills. Their full paper isn’t out yet, but their initial report offers some really encouraging findings for AI in education!
That will be in my next one in this series! I wish they had the working paper out though.
Same! I’m using it in an op-ed I pitched on Friday, but I wish I could have referenced the full thing rather than just their blog
Starting small.
A project through a partnership with "Back to Basics Education" (non-profit in Dayton, Ohio), Synota.io (digital finance company enabling pathway to donations), and Renewvia Energy Africa.
We are starting small with a project in Ozuzu Nigeria. We have obtained donation of money for a microgrid to supply power to a portion of the village including a school and a hospital.
The donation is paying for computers and AI data costs. I will be providing the AI facilitated education technology (accessible on-line). I will have a functioning website today. I am putting the last touches to it. I also have a person on the ground who will be the eyes and ears with the youth (the teacher). I will share with you when it becomes active.
We should be going in two months.
Ultimately the aim is to show that we can lift up youth faster to income, we can enable them to earn incomes and thus have a source of financial return to the project.
If you haven't seen this article, it is startling. 6 weeks of AI education (after school) = 2 years of traditional education
https://blogs.worldbank.org/en/education/From-chalkboards-to-chatbots-Transforming-learning-in-Nigeria
Similar results have been seen in a wealthy school in the US.
https://alpha.school/
I'm familiar with the Nigeria study, but I wish they'd release the full paper. Maybe there's a chance to turn your project into a study.
Agreed.
I can speak about how AI impacted learning in my classes last year. I've never experienced even close to the learning I achieved as a result of AI integration.
I'm excited to begin my test in Nigeria. I don't want - and couldn't even if I wanted to - to do a study to measure the difference in learning using AI vs not using AI.
I've built these three tools to facilitate empowerment and education.
1. Community Research Assistant
Purpose: Helps communities gather local insights through online research and conversations with residents. It builds a plan for AI education that supports the productive use of new energy infrastructure.
Impact: Ideal for newly powered towns or villages seeking to accelerate local development through education and technology.
🔗 Try it: community-research-assistant.vercel.app
2. Leapfrog AI Edu
Purpose: A learning assistant that teaches coding, front-end/back-end development, and IT concepts in a hands-on, feedback-driven way. It tracks progress and confirms when a learner has successfully completed a session.
Impact: Designed for youth who may not thrive in traditional education but are ready to build real, marketable skills.
🔗 Try it: leapfrog-ai-edu.vercel.app
3. Cultural Technology Assistant
Purpose: Simulates real-world tech consulting situations to train users in both problem-solving and intercultural communication. Evaluates technical and cultural competence.
Impact: Especially useful for preparing youth in the Global South to engage confidently with international clients and opportunities.
🔗 Try it: cultural-tech-assistant-web.vercel.app
Craig,
As an educator at the University of Dayton in 2023 (Mechanical Engineering / Renewable Energy), I had the pleasure to have 3 Ghanian students as interns in Dayton. Early in the summer, we had a conversation about AI. I asked if they were using AI. I can honestly say that very few of the students at my university were, and I was one of only a couple of faculty encouraging its use. Their emphatic response was "Yes!" They went on to say that "every student in their country that had access to internet and a computer was using ChatGPT. I asked why. They said "Hope!"
I am working with two organizations to build into solar microgrid projects in Kenya, Nigeria, and Gambia computers with AI facilitated education. The linkage is essential. Bringing power to 'unpowered' communities is not currently a solid investment. Roughly 50% of the costs have to be supported by donations. Thus, they aren't able to scale. The AI education we will soon be delivering in Ozuzu, Nigeria focuses on helping young people develop IT skills fast to enable a pathway to income. With income the investment has the potential for paying back. With payback we will have the potential to gain investment.
I am looking to open source my AI learning technology (leapfrog AI education) to help make this happen.
That's fascinating! I'll be writing on how I think the dreams of AI-facilitated education have the biggest potential in developing countries. The Gambia will be one of my examples! Would love to know more about what you're doing.