San Jose, Ca, March 24, 2026 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- The Tech Interactive, a world-renowned science, technology, and education center in the heart of Silicon Valley, is hosting the largest National AI Literacy Day event in the country, welcoming more than 1,000 K-12 students from across the Bay Area for a day of hands-on learning focused on artificial intelligence. Simultaneously, educators, innovators, and community leaders will gather for the Third Annual AI Literacy Day Summit, now open to the public, exploring how AI is transforming education and the future of work.
National AI Literacy Day is Friday, March 27, 2026.
Now in its third year, National AI Literacy Day is a nationwide initiative designed to empower students, educators, and families with the tools to engage with AI safely, ethically, and creatively. Organized in partnership with aiEDU, EdSafe AI Alliance (InnovateEDU), and Common Sense Media, the initiative brings communities together through immersive experiences and conversations about artificial intelligence. Hundreds of events will take place across the country, highlighting the urgent need for AI education and collaboration.
“At The Tech Interactive, we believe everyone should have the opportunity to understand the technologies influencing their lives,” said Katrina Stevens, President and CEO of The Tech Interactive. “AI literacy is not just about skills. It is about curiosity and critical thinking. We want people to understand that all technology, including AI, is built by humans, and to see themselves as problem-solvers who can shape it for the better. National AI Literacy Day shows what is possible when educators, industry, and communities come together around that shared goal.”
The AI Literacy Day Summit, taking place from 7:30 a.m.-12:30 p.m. on Friday, March 27, will bring together leaders from education, government, and industry to explore how to prepare students for an AI-driven future. Highlights include:
Opening remarks: Dinesh Nirmal, Senior Vice President, Software, IBM
Fireside Chat: Kim Smith, Founder and CEO of LearnerStudio, on how learning systems must evolve in the age of AI
Moderated by Peggy Yin, PhD Student, Stanford University
Create + AI Lightning Talks: Hiroshi Mendoza, Founder of Read Sidekick, an AI-powered literacy tools and human-centered design, Dr. Diana Neebe and Jake Moffat of Sacred Heart Preparatory, on co-designing process-based analytical writing, and Adam Siegel, Founder of UGood?, an AI-driven Tier I attendance and student engagement system.
Education Panel: AI in Education: The Possibilities, the Pitfalls and Shaping the Future
Featuring Rudy Escobar of Stanislaus County Office of Education, Dr. Vanessa Monterosa of NewSchools Venture Fund, and Dr. Tara Nattrass of Lenovo
Moderated by Dr. Pati Ruiz of Digital Promise
Community Panel: AI Literacy for Families and Communities: Building Capacity Across San Jose
Featuring Dr. Yingjie Liu of San José State University, Eduardo Arellanas Loeza of Breakthrough Silicon Valley, Albert Glee, City of San José Privacy and AI Officer, Abby Shull of San José Public Library, and Kristine Schaan of Sourcewise
Student Voice Panel: Student-Led AI Literacy: Lessons from a High School Tech Internship Program
Featuring Kip Glazer, Principal and author of Ready to Lead with AI, along with student leaders Myra Jain, Nikita Narang, Sophia Zhang, Yash Maheshwari, Claire Schwarzhoff, and Dhruv Vijay, highlighting how students at Mountain View High School are helping shape responsible AI use in schools
Throughout the day, nearly 1,000 students will participate in interactive field trip experiences designed to demystify AI and spark curiosity. Through hands-on, screen-free activities, students will explore how AI systems learn, how machines interpret information, and how to think critically about the role of AI in their daily lives.
AI Literacy Weekend at The Tech Interactive
The same experiences will be open to the public during AI Literacy Weekend, March 28-29. Included with general admission, families and visitors of all ages can step into the role of learner, experimenting with activities like spotting AI-generated images and exploring how machines interpret what they see and respond to everyday questions. Designed for curious minds, these experiences make AI approachable while inviting deeper exploration of how it shapes our world. Visitors can also catch a showing of “Cities of the Future” in The Tech Interactive’s IMAX Dome Theater.
Professional Development Opportunity for Educators
Educators can continue the learning on Saturday, March 28, with a hands-on workshop exploring NGSS-aligned lessons designed to build AI literacy across grade levels. From understanding how AI models address real-world challenges to introducing concepts like computer vision, participants will engage in both unplugged and tech-enabled activities while examining the opportunities and challenges of using AI in the classroom. The workshop also includes a behind-the-scenes look at AI experiences at The Tech and access to National AI Literacy Day resources to bring back to their schools.
Embracing its role as a leading hub for science and technology education, The Tech Interactive has expanded its commitment to AI literacy with the opening of Dream Garden, an AI-powered immersive exhibit, and AI Sandbox, a dynamic, ever-evolving gallery where visitors of all ages can explore and engage with AI in meaningful ways. The Tech has also released a robust set of AI education resources for Grades K-12, including AI Adventure: The ‘Zine and standards-aligned lesson plans, discussion guides, and videos, available for free at thetech.org/ai.
For educators and parents eager to join the AI literacy movement, a library of free resources and live and on-demand professional development series from many national organizations are available at https://www.ailiteracyday.org/.
The National AI Literacy Day is made possible by the generous financial and in-kind support from The Siegel Family Endowment, Google, IBM, and Booz Allen.
Note: Photos and video will be made available following the event. Contact publicrelations@thetech.org for more information.
On AI Literacy Day at The Tech Interactive, nearly 1,000 students dive into hands-on field trip experiences that demystify AI, explore how machines learn and interpret information, and build critical thinking about AI’s role in everyday life.
About The Tech Interactive
The Tech Interactive is a family-friendly science and technology center in the heart of downtown San Jose. Our hands-on activities, experimental labs and design challenge experiences empower people to innovate with creativity, curiosity and compassion. The Tech is a world leader in the creation of immersive STEM education resources to develop the next generation of problem-solvers locally, nationally and globally. We believe that everyone is born an innovator who can change the world for the better.
Press Inquiries
Katie Barrow
publicrelations [at] thetech.org
https://www.thetech.org
201 S. Market St.
San Jose, CA 95113
A video accompanying this announcement is available here: https://youtube.com/watch?v=0cfLXtxZL3k
