West-MEC, a public career and technical education school district, has launched a new AI program for its students.
The West-MEC Southeast Campus is offering a two-year program to its high school students. They'll gain skills in programming, machine learning, and data science and explore the ethical and societal impacts of emerging technologies.
Sophia Taitano is a junior in the program. She said right now, her class is learning how to organize and analyze data.
“This basically just prepares us for using bigger programming languages like Python and it’s honestly just essential because a lot of careers in the future are going to be based on technology and AI because it’s so big in everyday life,” Taitano said.
The program offers students a pathway to several careers in AI, software development, and data science. Taitano said she hopes it will prepare her for a career in aviation.
“What I want to do in the future is be a fighter pilot and be involved with aviation mechanics," she said. "So I know that having the education on it and the knowledge is gonna be really essential.”
AI is already being used in that field to predict when aircraft parts need to be replaced before they actually fail.
-
Diesel prices are steadily increasing, affecting school districts across the state. The price jump is especially felt in rural areas, including the Flagstaff Unified School District. -
A former Centennial High School student has filed a $7 million notice of claim against the Peoria Unified School District, alleging it failed to protect him from grooming and exploitation. -
Arizona already has a law that bars trans girls from competing in girls sports at school. Proposition 318 — named the Protect Girls’ Sports in Arizona Act — focuses almost entirely on bathrooms and locker rooms. -
The Greater Phoenix Chamber of Commerce is trying to help certain Valley companies find a new pipeline of workers by connecting them with high school students. -
The Tucson Unified School District has been hosting community meetings as it considers options for school consolidations or closures. The district was designed to serve more than 67,000 students. It now enrolls fewer than 40,000.
