Preparing Students for Tomorrow Starts Today
The world our students will enter is changing faster than ever before.
From advances in healthcare and manufacturing to new technologies reshaping the workplace, today’s young people will graduate into careers that may look very different from those of previous generations. As that future takes shape, students need opportunities to build the skills, confidence, and understanding required to navigate it successfully. To meet that need, Junior Achievement of Western Pennsylvania (JA) is exploring a new initiative focused on AI literacy within JA BizTown.
Supported in part by a Moonshot Grant from Remake Learning, made possible by The Grable Foundation, this effort explores how age-appropriate learning experiences can help students better understand technology’s role in the world around them while strengthening critical thinking and decision-making skills that remain essential no matter how technology evolves.
AI Is Already Part of Many Young People’s Lives
Artificial intelligence is no longer something students will encounter someday. For many young people, it’s already part of daily life.
Whether through search engines, educational tools, digital assistants, creative platforms, or entertainment experiences, AI-powered technology is becoming increasingly present in everyday life. Recent research found that 86% of children and teens ages 9-17 already use or interact with AI in some capacity. At the same time, nearly half report never having had a conversation with a parent or guardian about safe AI use, while a similar percentage say AI has never been discussed at school.
These findings don’t suggest that young people need more technology. Instead, they suggest that young people need more guidance.
As educators, parents, employers, and community leaders work to understand the opportunities and challenges of emerging technologies, there is growing recognition that students benefit from learning how to think about these tools, not simply how to use them. That perspective connects naturally to JA’s mission.
A Natural Extension of JA’s Mission
For more than 80 years, JA has helped students connect what they learn in the classroom to the real world.
Whether exploring careers, developing workplace skills, or learning what it takes to run a business, JA experiences help young people see themselves in their future. Through hands-on learning, students gain exposure to opportunities they may not otherwise have considered while building confidence in their ability to succeed.
As the workforce continues to evolve, so do the conversations that prepare students for it.
Across industries, technology is changing how people communicate, solve problems, access information, and make decisions. Even as tomorrow’s careers may look different from today’s, employers still emphasize skills such as critical thinking, adaptability, communication, collaboration, and ethical decision-making.
These aren’t new skills. They’re foundational skills that have always helped people succeed, and they remain central as technology changes.
That’s why this initiative is not about teaching students to rely on artificial intelligence. Instead, it’s about helping them better understand the world they are growing up in while strengthening the human skills that will always matter.
Human Skills Will Always Matter
As conversations around AI continue to grow, one message remains clear: technology works best when it supports human thinking, not replacing it.
Research shows that when AI is used intentionally in strong educational environments, it can support student learning. Still, experts emphasize the importance of foundational skills, guidance, and thoughtful implementation.
At JA, that belief aligns closely with the way we’ve always approached education.
Students need opportunities to ask questions, solve problems, evaluate information, collaborate with others, and learn from experience. Those skills help prepare them not only for future careers, but for life.
Technology may change. Personal judgment, curiosity, creativity, and integrity remain essential, and they guide what comes next.
Looking Ahead
The initiative is currently in its exploration phase as JA works alongside educators, families, community leaders, and other stakeholders to better understand how AI literacy can support career readiness and future success for young people.
Through this process, we hope to learn more about how students are already engaging with technology and identify meaningful ways to help them build the awareness, confidence, and critical thinking skills needed ahead.
Just as JA BizTown helps students imagine themselves as future professionals, entrepreneurs, and community leaders, this initiative explores how we can help them better understand the technologies that will increasingly shape those roles.
Preparing students for the future has always been central to JA’s mission. While we may not know exactly what tomorrow’s jobs will look like, we do know today’s students will need to adapt, think critically, and keep learning throughout their lives. That is why this work matters now, and that preparation starts now.
Frequently Asked Questions
Why is JA exploring AI literacy for students?
As AI becomes more common in everyday life, JA is exploring how age-appropriate experiences can help students better understand technology while building critical thinking, problem-solving, and decision-making skills.
Is JA teaching students how to use AI?
No. This initiative focuses on AI literacy, not AI tool training. The goal is to help students think critically about technology and understand its role in the world around them.
How does AI literacy connect to JA's mission?
For more than 80 years, Junior Achievement has helped students connect classroom learning to real-world opportunities through workforce readiness, entrepreneurship, and financial literacy education.
As careers and industries continue to evolve, understanding how technology impacts work and everyday life is becoming an important part of career readiness. This initiative builds on JA’s long-standing mission of preparing young people for future success by exploring how AI literacy can support the workforce skills employers continue to value most.
How will student safety and privacy be considered?
Student safety and privacy are central to the project’s development. Any future learning experiences will be designed to be age-appropriate and aligned with school and district expectations.
What happens next?
The initiative is currently in the exploration phase. JA is working with educators, families, and community stakeholders to better understand how AI literacy can support future career readiness and student success. Additional information about program design and safeguards will be shared as the initiative develops.
