ALIGN: AI Literacy for Innovation, Growth, and Networking

Preparing educators, schools, and communities for an AI-partnered future.

Building AI Literacy 

The ALIGN Project is a national initiative focused on helping educators, school systems, and communities thoughtfully navigate the rapidly evolving landscape of artificial intelligence in education.

Led by the Expanding Pathways in Computing (EPIC) team at the Texas Advanced Computing Center at The University of Texas at Austin, ALIGN works to ensure that AI literacy is accessible, ethical, and actionable for schools. 

Started in 2025 in Texas, ALIGN supports educators and leaders as they move from conversations about AI to meaningful implementation that centers teaching, learning, and student opportunity through professional learning, district planning, statewide collaboration, and community engagement.

Why AI Literacy Matters

Artificial intelligence is already influencing classrooms, workplaces, and daily life. From generative AI tools to predictive technologies, students are entering a world where understanding AI will be essential for civic participation, career readiness, and informed decision-making.

Yet many schools and communities are still determining how to approach AI responsibly and equitably.

ALIGN exists to help bridge that gap by:

  • building educator capacity,
  • supporting district implementation,
  • expanding access to high-quality AI learning opportunities,
  • and ensuring that conversations about AI remain grounded in equity, ethics, and student learning.

Events and Workshops

AI Literacy Academies
Building AI-Ready Schools and Classrooms

The ALIGN AI Literacy Academies are designed to help educators, school leaders, and districts move beyond conversations about artificial intelligence toward meaningful, sustainable implementation. Through immersive professional learning experiences, participants develop the knowledge, confidence, and practical strategies needed to integrate AI literacy into teaching, learning, leadership, and school systems.

Cyber + AI Workshops

The ALIGN Cyber+AI initiative was created to help educators and students build foundational knowledge at the intersection of artificial intelligence and cybersecurity. Through hands-on workshops, learning experiences, and emerging workforce pathways, participants explore both the opportunities and challenges associated with AI technologies.

AI Symposia

Held in districts across Texas, the ALIGN AI Literacy in Action Symposia are one-day events to help Texas educators and administrators gain actionable knowledge in AI for their schools. Hosted by UT Austin’s Expanding Pathways in Computing Team, these events offer a unique opportunity to discover practical ways to bring A.I. into schools.

THINK. CREATE. QUESTION.
Our Emerging Framework for AI Literacy

ALIGN is grounded in the belief that AI literacy is not just about using tools. It is about understanding, creating, evaluating, and questioning the systems shaping our world.

Our work is guided by the idea that when working with AI, users should think, create, and question.

  • Think critically about the task at hand and brainstorm potential solutions before using AI tools.
  • Use AI tools as a partner to responsibly create artifacts that aim to provide answers to the specific questions you are exploring.
  • Question everything. Consider when, if, and how you use AI. Question the assumptions, biases, and ethical implications of the outputs that are given and edit them to ensure you are arriving at a relevant and appropriate solution.

This framework helps educators and students move beyond passive use of AI toward informed, reflective, and empowered participation.

Resources

The ALIGN Project develops and curates resources designed to help educators, school leaders, and communities thoughtfully navigate the evolving landscape of artificial intelligence in education. From district strategic planning tools to classroom-ready learning experiences, our resources are designed to support responsible, equitable, and sustainable AI literacy implementation across K–12 education. Whether you are beginning conversations about AI or building comprehensive implementation plans, ALIGN resources are intended to help move ideas into action.

District AI Guidance & Strategic Planning

As school systems across the country begin developing AI guidance, policies, and implementation plans, ALIGN has worked alongside district leaders, educators, and stakeholders to support strategic planning for AI literacy and responsible AI integration.

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Advancing AI Literacy Lessons

ALIGN also supports educators through the development and dissemination of practical AI literacy learning experiences that can be used directly in classrooms and professional learning settings. Lessons are designed to be engaging, accessible, and adaptable across grade levels and content areas.

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Contact

The ALIGN Project is a collaborative initiative made possible by the expertise and dedication of a multidisciplinary team at TACC. Researchers, instructional designers, professional learning specialists, and technology experts work together with a shared commitment to preparing educators and students for an AI-partnered future. For questions about ALIGN or partnership opportunities, please contact Allen Antoine.

Texas AI in Education Task Force

The Texas AI in Education Task Force convened in Spring 2026 with the goals of identifying the key factors affecting Texas’s ability to achieve AI literacy for every student and developing recommendations to build a coherent, strategic K–12 AI education pipeline and ecosystem. The group included representation from academia, industry, K–12 education, and community members. The convenings of the Texas AI in Education Task Force resulted in four key recommendations.

Texas AI in Education Task Force

Leading the Way in K-12 Education

Artificial intelligence (AI) has rapidly become integral in daily life, and Texas K-12 students and educators are navigating the opportunities and risks largely on their own. The Texas AI in Education Task Force produced this report to offer state policymakers a clear-eyed assessment of where Texas stands and a concrete path forward.