NewTechKids To Test New AI Literacy Curriculum and Lessons
For the past 11 years, NewTechKids has been breaking barriers in tech education. We are continuing our track record with a new pilot program during which we will test a new AI literacy curriculum for senior primary school students at four Amsterdam primary schools.
The pilot program has been commissioned by the Municipality of Amsterdam and will run until the end of December 2026.
During the pilot program, NewTechKids will teach a curriculum of 12, weekly lessons which introduce students ages 10-12 to AI, including its opportunities, risks, and responsible usage. Rather than jumping immediately into AI usage, we’re going to challenge students to think long and hard about how AI works, why it is designed the way it is, and what positive and negative impacts it has on society. We’ll also teach students ethical thinking frameworks which help them evaluate AI so that they can make informed, responsible decisions about personal AI usage. Everything will come to life through hands-on usage of AI tools.
Teachers at the four schools will be trained to teach the lessons in order to ensure they are well-prepared to implement AI education. Three of the 12 lessons will be freely available online to all teachers in Amsterdam and the Netherlands.
Deborah Carter, founder and director of NewTechKids: “AI is one of the most consequential innovations in history. So this is why NewTechKids’ AI literacy curriculum and lessons will focus on providing primary school students with critical and ethical thinking frameworks for long-term impact. We are intervening before these students turbo-charge their AI usage in high school to help them make conscious, informed choices about how and why they use AI technology and tools.”
Anna van der Heijden, project lead innovation at the Municipality of Amsterdam: “Strengthening digital resilience is essential to limit the negative effects of the online world. It’s important that schools in Amsterdam are prepared for a future in which technology and AI play an increasingly significant role. Through this project, teachers are given practical tools to increase understanding of AI, its advantages and disadvantages, and how it can be used responsibly.”
NewTechKids’ pilot program is part of the Municipality’s Young Netizens Programme which helps young Amsterdammers interact with their online world consciously, safely, and healthily. Within the program, the Municipality collaborates with young Amsterdam residents (up to 23 years old), educators, youth workers, teachers, and designers on complex issues related to this theme.
Pilot Program Highlights
The pilot consists of several components that contribute to the development and dissemination of AI education:
- Research Report: A report on the best practices for teaching AI, based on literature research, interviews, and case studies. This publication will be available from May 2026.
- AI Lessons in Primary Schools: The curriculum will be tested throughout the year in four classes of grades 6, 7, and/or 8, including at IKC Metropool primary school in Amsterdam Zuidoost. Teachers will be involved in the lessons and will receive training to continue the curriculum independently.
- Free online lessons: Three lessons from the curriculum will be made available free of charge to teachers in Amsterdam and the rest of the Netherlands starting in late 2026. These lessons will be designed so they can be taught individually.
4. Interim evaluation and final report: The interim evaluation of the findings from the first two schools will be available starting in September 2026. A final report with the results and recommendations for further expanding AI education in Amsterdam primary schools will follow at the end of January 2027.