The model now spans private, public and charter classrooms.
TechBuffalo is widening the AI education pilot it launched this spring.
The organization has added two Western New York schools to the initiative: the Kenmore-Town of Tonawanda Union Free School District, a public district serving roughly 6,700 students, and Buffalo Academy of Science.
Nichols School was the inaugural partner. With Ken-Ton and Buf Sci added, the pilot now covers private, public and charter learning environments.
The initiative is part of TechBuffalo’s Innovation Fellowship, which places educators in industry environments and aligns new learning pathways to employer needs.
Teachers from each of the three schools have spent the summer participating in externships with companies in the innovation economy (Guidesly, Radial Ventures, and LenderLogix) and then working with experts from University at Buffalo Graduate School of Education to iterate through implementing those learnings.
Gone is the trope of education lagging years behind industry on new technology adoption. Here, educators are positioned on the leading edge of AI adoption.
"Our Innovation Fellows are learning about the skills needed to thrive in Western New York's growing innovation economy and bringing that knowledge back to the classroom," said Anne Martell-Flury, director of K-12 education for the Kenmore-Town of Tonawanda School District. "This ongoing work will drive a transformation in our schools as teachers and students engage with new technologies to build future-ready skills."
The program keeps the tiered, age-appropriate structure used at Nichols. Younger grades build the logic and problem-solving habits that explain how AI works. Older students learn to question what AI produces and to use it across subjects. Teachers get tools that cut down on paperwork, which frees time for one-on-one attention and lesson design.
"Buffalo Science Academy piloted this program last year, and our students truly enjoyed the experience," said Dr. Joseph Polat, the school's executive director. "Building on that success, we are expanding participation to more teachers this year and are excited to implement the program's 2.0 phase."
TechBuffalo’s Innovation Fellowship also has resourced over 20 teachers to host Family Code Nights and tech clubs in their districts, welcoming 6,000+ kids and families last school year. This next step is about going beyond the after school window, and increasingly exposing kids to the skills of the modern economy.
"The economies that win the next decade are deciding their future in classrooms right now," said Jeffrey Botteron, TechBuffalo president and CEO. "This is Buffalo connecting the classroom directly to its innovation economy, getting ahead of the curve rather than chasing it."
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