Artificial Intelligence Preparatory Course for 1,000 Ninth-Grade Students in 50 Excellence Classes

In recent months, the foundation has begun convening its new grantees in the field of artificial intelligence (AI) education. These organizations operate pioneering and innovative programs that develop high-quality learning materials and test them with groups of students in excellence tracks. In joint meetings, they share experiences, achievements, and lessons learned, while also working together to identify the necessary content, teaching requirements, and effective instructional methods.

The Ministry of Education has recently joined this collaborative learning group, while announcing its intention to launch a new five-unit high school track in Artificial Intelligence – similar to tracks already operating in countries such as South Korea and Singapore. As a preliminary step, the Ministry plans to run a preparatory course in the upcoming school year for 1,000 ninth-grade students in 50 excellence classes, who are expected to enroll in the new AI track the following year. Each class will study the preparatory course for three weekly hours throughout the year.

In consultation with the foundation, the Ministry of Education has expressed interest in having the course content customized based on materials developed by the pioneering programs led by the Weizmann Institute of Science and the Cyber Education Center. The Weizmann Institute is already developing, and set to implement, a program for 500 ninth-grade students in excellence tracks that teaches the fundamentals of AI and prepares them for five-unit matriculation. The Cyber Education Center runs a program for 2,500 ninth-grade students in excellence tracks, which includes courses in machine learning and AI.

The Weizmann Institute, in partnership with the Cyber Education Center, proposes to develop the preparatory course, which will integrate learning materials from the pilot programs. The content will be adapted to be accessible in an online digital environment. The course materials will include hands-on practice for students and guides for teachers. It will be added to the curriculum of 50 ninth-grade excellence classes. The Weizmann Institute will also provide 60 hours of professional development for the 50 participating teachers, who are expected to teach the AI track in high school once it is launched.

The course will expose students to core concepts in machine learning and AI, including recommendation systems, language models, and data structures. It will be based on advanced algorithmic and mathematical capabilities, alongside programming, computational and statistical skills. The program will be aligned with UNESCO’s conceptual framework for AI education and incorporate aspects of ethics and regulation. Following the development phase and the first year of implementation, the Ministry of Education intends to fully fund the program going forward.

* The text above shows the grant as approved by the Foundation’s Board of Directors / Grant 631