High school students dive into math and AI through joint Roux Institute and JMG program
Don’t know your decision tree from your data science, or your artificial intelligence (AI) models from your training data? Never fear – there are Maine high school students who can help you with that.
Students from Bonny Eagle, Brunswick, Ellsworth, Freeport, Portland, Sanford, and Scarborough High Schools have participated in Statistics through the Lens of AI, an online course for high school students designed to make the math behind AI tangible and applicable.
Created in partnership between Northeastern University’s Roux Institute and JMG, with support from the Hudson Foundation, the course teaches students how to build and refine predictive models, explore the connections between AI and statistics, and deepen their ability to apply statistical principles in problem-solving.
What stands out in this course is that students aren’t just learning about AI, they’re building and applying the underlying skills, from statistical reasoning to model development. That shift from exposure to skill-building is foundational to developing real AI literacy. JMG is committed to those competencies, so learning translates into skills that open real pathways for college and career.
Sam Brink
VP of extended learning, JMG
Sandy Ganzell, Khoury College of Computer Science teaching professor, created the curriculum for the course, and partners at JMG turned that information into micro-learning modules. Roux Institute graduate students served as mentors for course participants, providing one-on-one support and expert help. “At the Roux, our mission includes bringing world-class expertise to Maine, and that means partnering with organizations who know it best. JMG has spent years building relationships with students across Maine and developing pedagogical expertise to make complex content genuinely accessible for students. This made them the ideal partner for this work,” said Alicia Jalbert, associate director of academic pathways at the Roux Institute.
Participating students from Bonny Eagle, Portland, and Scarborough High Schools shared their learnings during a visit to the Roux Institute. A key theme that emerged: the importance of understanding when and how to use AI. Andre, a student at Scarborough High School, wanted to take the course because of how prevalent AI is becoming. “It was interesting to explore how AI learns differently than humans,” he observed. Ian, from Bonny Eagle, shared that getting to build his own AI model was a highlight of the course while Henry, a Scarborough High School student who’s gearing up to take AP and community college classes next year said, “The Roux seemed like a great place to begin my studies in AI.”
“What stands out in this course is that students aren’t just learning about AI, they’re building and applying the underlying skills, from statistical reasoning to model development. That shift from exposure to skill-building is foundational to developing real AI literacy. JMG is committed to those competencies, so learning translates into skills that open real pathways for college and career,” said Sam Brink, JMG’s VP of extended learning.
Know a Maine high school student who may be interested in this free course? Share this link with them!