Redefining Tech Education: Inside Mila’s AI for Good Lab

About this episode

In this episode, hosts Katrina Gouett and Whitney McKinley welcome Jennifer Addison, Project Manager for the AI for Good Lab at Mila, Quebec’s artificial intelligence institute. Jennifer details the lab’s mission to equip women and gender-diverse individuals with the skills to build machine learning projects, fostering a more inclusive tech culture and inspiring leaders to use AI for social good. The conversation explores the power of curiosity-driven learning and the importance of creating safe, grade-free environments where students feel empowered to ask questions, collaborate rather than compete, and challenge the status quo. They also discuss how K-12 educators can adopt these principles by becoming co-learners alongside their students to navigate the evolving AI landscape together.

Jennifer Addison is the Project Manager for the AI4Good Lab at Mila - Quebec Artificial Intelligence Institute. The Lab is a 7-week program that equips women and gender diverse people with the skills to build their own machine learning projects. The program is designed to open doors for those who have historically been underrepresented in the AI industry, contribute to a more inclusive and diverse tech culture and to inspire the next generation of leaders to use AI as a tool for social good.

Prior to Mila, Jennifer worked in Human Resources at the Business Development Bank of Canada where she contributed to the development and advancement of the corporate Diversity, Equity, Inclusion and Accessibility strategy. With over a decade of experience in the non-profit sector, in the US and Canada, she specializes in developing and implementing programs designed to address and disrupt structural inequities and discrimination experienced by equity-deserving communities.

You can find Jennifer on LinkedIn

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