Portland Public Schools (PPS) recently kicked off the school year with a surprise visit from Colin Kaepernick. The former NFL quarterback now heads Lumi Story AI, and the company is partnering with Oregon’s largest school district to pilot an AI literacy platform designed to help students, particularly those who struggle with literacy and lack confidence in the classroom.
AI in the classroom
Superintendent Kimberlee Armstrong welcomed Kaepernick to the stage, in front of an audience of educators, students, and local officials, to announce this exciting new collaboration. The idea is that Lumi Story AI will allow students to create their own stories, comics, and graphic novels using AI-powered chatbots and image-generation tools.
The platform will be piloted with a select group of middle and high school students this year, and if successful, it could be expanded to others across the district.
“We’ve seen the impact of the digital divide,” said Kaepernick, as reported by OPB. “We do not want our students playing catch-up. As we’re seeing new technologies show up, being able to do different things to advance our students… we want to make sure that we’re getting those tools in front of them to help them succeed and compete with every other student across the country and the world.”
Although AI’s potential to replace teachers or encourage cheating has sparked some concern, OPB reported that Armstrong is focused on using AI as a way to support students’ original work, rather than replace it.
“AI should be used to enhance literacy, math, and science, not substitute for learning,” she emphasized.
A step toward digital equity
Portland has already been steadily increasing its use of AI tools in education, utilizing programs such as IXL for math and Writable for writing. This new collaboration with Lumi Story AI aims to take things a step further — bringing these tools to students who could benefit from them the most.
Portland isn’t the only district getting after AI; Kaepernick’s company is also taking similar actions in other cities, including Newark, New Jersey. He sees Lumi Story AI as an opportunity to give underserved students a leg up and, hopefully, help them level the playing field with their peers across the country.
A promise of greatness
KOIN 6 News reported that at the Portland event, Kaepernick told the crowd, “Let’s make a promise that by the last bell in June, every student will know at least one adult who says, ‘I see greatness in you.’”
His message was simple: Every student has the potential to go far, and it’s up to educators by way of this initiative to help them unlock that potential. As PPS continues to integrate AI into its classrooms, the goal is to create an environment where students not only learn but thrive.
Google is also making strides to bridge the digital divide. Google’s $1 billion education initiative is bringing advanced AI tools and training programs to college students nationwide.