Scotomaville Rural AI Literacy Pilot for Schools and Families

Proposed Sites: Dufur, Oregon and/or The Dalles, Oregon

Project Length: 12 months

Requested Funding: Under $10,000

Project Lead: Scotomaville, in partnership with a local facilitator and community-based host site

Project Summary

Scotomaville seeks support for a small, locally facilitated pilot that helps rural students, families, and educators build practical AI literacy, ethical judgment, and self-directed learning habits. The project will be delivered through a low-burden, community-based model designed for rural settings with limited staffing, transportation, and access to specialized training.

The pilot will offer a series of facilitated learning sessions for students and families, along with simple educator support resources that help local leaders introduce AI concepts in a way that is clear, responsible, and grounded in community values. The program is designed to extend learning beyond the classroom and into the home, where family participation can strengthen trust, relevance, and long-term adoption.

Need Statement

Rural schools and families often have fewer opportunities to access emerging technology education, AI literacy training, and flexible family engagement programming. At the same time, local educators and administrators are being asked to prepare students for an AI-shaped future while managing limited time and resources. This pilot addresses that gap by providing a practical, relationship-based model that can be delivered locally without requiring major new infrastructure.

Goals and Objectives

  • Increase AI literacy among participating students and families.
  • Support local facilitators with simple, ready-to-use learning materials.
  • Strengthen family engagement around responsible technology use.
  • Demonstrate a low-cost, replicable rural model that can be scaled later.

Target Participants

The pilot is intended for rural students, parents, caregivers, educators, and community members in Dufur and/or The Dalles. The model is especially suitable for communities that want practical AI education delivered in a way that respects local culture, pace, and capacity.

Activities

  • Monthly facilitated sessions for students and families.
  • Simple take-home or printable learning materials.
  • One local community listening session.
  • Optional educator support touchpoints for principals, superintendents, or teacher leads.
  • Light evaluation using attendance, completion, and participant feedback.

Expected Outcomes

Participants will gain a clearer understanding of how AI works, how to use it responsibly, and how to evaluate its outputs critically. Families will be better equipped to support learning at home, and local school leaders will have evidence about whether this model is worth expanding.

Budget Use

Funds will support a local facilitator stipend, printed materials, limited travel, venue support, family engagement supplies, and basic evaluation. The budget is intentionally lean so that the pilot remains feasible for small grants and community-based funders.

Why It Matters

This pilot gives rural communities a practical entry point into AI literacy while keeping people, relationships, and local values at the center. It is designed to prove that meaningful innovation does not require a large system change first — only a focused, trusted, and replicable local model.

Scotomaville Rural AI Literacy Pilot Concept