Outreach
At the APRIL AI Hub, we are committed to engaging and empowering new generations of engineers and AI users through our inclusive community engagement and outreach programme.
APRIL and the Tower of Techport
The APRIL AI Hub has worked alongside children’s author and illustrator, Ramya Julian, to develop a children’s book for primary school children which aims to introduce students to the concepts of artificial intelligence (AI), electronics and innovation. The use of AI is becoming an increasingly important topic, especially its use in education. Therefore, by making these concepts accessible, fun and engaging, we hope to inspire and educate a new generation of young people on how AI can be used to help us. Please read below for the blurb description of the book:
APRIL, the brilliant AI robot, lives in Techport, a city powered by incredible technology and vibrant ideas. As New Year’s Eve approaches, the Microchip Guardians ask APRIL to help them build a dazzling tower that will light up Techport for the New Year! Soon, APRIL and the Microchip Guardians create a marvel unlike anything Techport has ever seen. But when the city’s power source fails, it’s up to APRIL’s imagination – and a little teamwork – to save the day, and the New Year!
To get free copies of the APRIL and the Tower of Techport, please contact us at APRIL@ed.ac.uk.
APRIL x ACE IT Scotland Collaboratio
APRIL has partnered with local Edinburgh charity, ACE IT, to deliver an intergenerational learning experience on Artificial Intelligence (AI) through a series of workshops. This initiative combined ACE IT’s mission to promote digital inclusion among learners over 50 and APRIL’s outreach commitment in supporting new generations of AI users.
The session welcomed 22 learners from ACE IT who were paired up with 22 researchers from APRIL, including our Google DeepMind Research Ready interns. Across the two sessions, learners engaged in hands-on activities and discussions exploring how AI can be used to tackle loneliness, enhance accessibility, and support daily living. Learners were also paired up with an intern or early in career researcher to receive a one-to-one personalised mentoring session on how AI tools can benefit their individual needs. The programme aimed to demystify AI to older learners and highlight it’s practical, human-centred applications.
The workshops attracted media attention and was broadcasted on STV News, see clip below:
If you’d like to explore outreach activities with your organisation, please get in touch with us at APRIL@ed.ac.uk.