RAILES Program

Program Details

“Real-world AI Literacy in Earth Science” (RAILES) invited high school Earth Science and Environmental Science teachers to apply for a 4-day Teaching and Learning Academy in July 2026, hosted at the University of Alabama (UA) in Tuscaloosa. Teachers worked alongside researchers from UA and education specialists from the American Geosciences Institute (AGI) to explore how AI techniques are used to study real-world water systems, from river flow and flash flooding to stormwater management. Most teachers had little to no prior AI experience before attending, and have since reported that the session built their confidence and fluency with AI skills and applications through the use of hands-on models and localized real-world rainfall and river height data. Curriculum materials have been shared with participating teachers so they can pilot adapted lessons with their own students in the fall of 2026. These same resources will be made widely available following the pilot.

Program Outline:

1. Fall 2026: Participants will implement the RAILES curriculum at their school (~3-5 days of instruction).
2. Spring 2027: Resources will be posted and promoted. These resources include activities that are intended to help students understand how AI works and how applications of it are used in the geosciences.

 

Program Partners and Funders

University of Alabama, Tuscaloosa National Science Foundation