Columbia University

This grant supports Columbia University’s NeuroAI: Intelligence in Brains and Machines a pilot high school education program, developed in collaboration with Neuromatch, that connects neuroscience, artificial intelligence, and society through a six-module curriculum for students in grades 11–12. As AI increasingly shapes education, healthcare, and everyday life, this program addresses a critical educational gap by preparing students to understand how intelligent systems learn, where they fail, and how they shape society. By explicitly linking neuroscience and AI, the program seeks to strengthen students’ understanding of intelligence in both biological and artificial systems while building awareness of the ethical and societal implications of emerging NeuroAI technologies. 

Each module is structured around a real-world question that connects foundational neuroscience and cognitive science principles to AI systems, supported by browser-based simulations, interactive demonstrations, and structured ethical reflection. Topics include how brains and machines learn; representation and memory in biological and artificial networks; feedback and adaptation; AI perception and decision-making; generalization and system failure; and a culminating module on ethics and society in NeuroAI. Throughout the curriculum, students are asked to interpret results, identify sources of error or bias, and connect technical concepts using real-world cases. Ethical reasoning is intentionally embedded throughout each module, prompting students to examine questions of privacy, fairness, accountability, and human oversight of NeuroAI. 

Implementation is supported through a train-the-trainer model in which 15 New York City high school teachers receive stipends, professional development, and sustained support to pilot the curriculum in classroom or after-school settings. Teacher preparation combines self-paced online learning with a week-long in-person summer workshop focused on hands-on facilitation and curriculum adaptation. Teachers complete a capstone project tailored to their instructional environment and receive a Certificate of Teaching and Learning accreditation.  

To support sustained adoption and refinement, the project will establish an educator community through virtual convenings, an open-access resource repository, and an ongoing digital platform. All curriculum materials will be released as modular open educational resources to support broad dissemination and continued use beyond the pilot. 

This grant supports the Dana Education objective to engage K-12 students in learning about neuroscience and its relevance to society through structured education opportunities (formal and non-formal) that integrate relevant, real-world topics and issues to capture their interest and inspire continued study.   

This grant also supports the Dana Foundation objective to facilitate greater understanding and informed decision-making among professionals by supporting new education approaches on neuroscience topics related to their practice.