Bridging the AI Divide: Preparing Opportunity Youth for Higher Education and Career Disruption
By M. Yvonne Taylor, Phd, NWEdA Executive Director
This January, I had the privilege of presenting at the Association of American Colleges and Universities (AAC&U) Annual Meeting on a panel examining AI, Open Educational Resources (OER), and disintermediation in higher education. I shared the stage with Dr. C. Edward Watson, Vice President for Digital Innovation at AAC&U, and David Harris, Editor in Chief of OpenStax. My specific role was to examine these disruptions through an equity lens – a perspective I also bring to Washington state’s task force on AI in Education and Workforce Development, which is developing policy recommendations.
January’s conference revealed just how central AI has become in higher education. From keynotes to breakout sessions, AI discussions were the most common topic with the most well-attended sessions. Institutions are grappling with the technology’s implications for teaching, learning, and assessment.
Higher Education’s AI Reality
My experiences teaching business students at Rice University in 2023 and 2024 – from undergraduates to MBAs – confirmed what many educators are observing: AI integration is already upon us. My MBA students revealed that they were not only permitted but expected to use AI tools at work. That meant that the curriculum needed to respond to what’s expected in the workplace, transforming to accommodate and leverage these technologies in order to make sure our students were prepared.
This emerging reality presents both an opportunity and a challenge for Opportunity Youth – young people aged 16-24 who are disconnected from both education and employment. As AI creates a new technological landscape, Opportunity Youth need support to ensure they can fully participate and thrive.
Addressing Potential Inequities
But AI access and literacy present yet another site of inequity that Opportunity Youth must navigate:
Awareness building: Many young people may not yet fully understand how AI is transforming education and workplaces, potentially missing opportunities to develop crucial emerging competencies.
Access considerations: Well-resourced students and institutions often have access to premium AI tools with enhanced capabilities. While basic versions of ChatGPT and similar tools are free, advanced features may require subscriptions that aren’t universally accessible.
Skill development: Effective AI use requires specific skills like prompt engineering – the ability to craft effective queries that generate useful outputs. Students need opportunities to develop these skills, regardless of their background.
Ethical Use and Limitations
As AI tools become ubiquitous, questions around academic integrity and appropriate use become increasingly important. In addition to awareness, access, and skills development, Opportunity Youth will need guidance on:
When and how to properly cite AI-generated content
Understanding the distinction between using AI as a learning aid versus a shortcut
Recognizing AI’s limitations, including potential biases and factual errors
Developing the critical thinking skills to evaluate AI outputs
By helping students understand both the power and limitations of AI tools, we can prepare them to use these technologies ethically and effectively.
Supporting Opportunity Youth in the AI Era
Many organizations supporting Opportunity Youth are not proficient in the use of AI within their own work and organizations. For us, several approaches may be useful:
Learning alongside youth: Staff and students can explore AI tools together, building shared knowledge and understanding.
Opening discussions about ethical use: Creating space for conversations about appropriate AI use helps students and organizations navigate expectations in academic and workplace settings.
Highlighting AI's potential: Demonstrating how AI can serve as a learning aid, creative tool, and productivity enhancer can empower youth and organizations to see these technologies as opportunities.
Collaborating with educational institutions: Working with schools and colleges to understand their AI policies helps us better prepare students for successful transitions.
Looking Forward
The integration of AI into higher education and workplaces presents a significant opportunity for Opportunity Youth and those who support them. By proactively addressing AI literacy, we can ensure these young people are well-positioned to leverage these powerful tools.
At Northwest Education Access, we’re in very nascent stages of discussing how AI literacy might be incorporated into our work with students. We welcome conversations with partners and other organizations about how to collectively approach this important topic.
