Eighth-grade students at M.S 370 recently delivered powerful and inspiring capstone presentations, marking the culmination of a yearlong AI course––a groundbreaking class designed to empower students with agency in their learning and demonstrate the real-world potential of artificial intelligence.
Throughout the year, students explored how AI works, examined its ethical implications, and learned to build their own AI-powered applications. For their final projects, students identified real challenges within their school and community, then designed and developed innovative apps to address them.
From an AI translation tool that helps new immigrant students overcome language barriers to a campus cleanliness tracker that gamifies keeping the school tidy, each project showcased a unique blend of empathy, creativity, and technical skill.
One student impressively challenged the very popular Duolingo App, stating:
“My app isn’t just about learning a new language like Duolingo––it addresses gaps, such as the emotional challenges and gives you confidence, support, and helps you feel understood as you learn.”
Other apps included peer tutoring platforms, hallway safety monitors, financial literacy aids, and time management tools for younger students, each one rooted in purpose and presented with confidence and pride.
Parents, teachers, and administrators were amazed by the quality of the work and the students’ ability to clearly articulate how AI could be used for good. These capstone projects demonstrated not only strong technical knowledge but also the power of student voice when young people are trusted to solve meaningful problems in their world.
