In November 2025, OpenAI—the company who created and released ChatGPT—developed a resource titled A Strong and Safe Start with AI: OpenAI’s Teen AI Literacy Blueprint. In it, they outline a five-part plan to support AI literacy among teens.
In the introduction, OpenAI states the document’s guiding premise: “Today’s teens—the first generation to come of age in the Intelligence Age—should have broad access to AI at home, at school, and as they prepare to enter the workforce. To fully and safely realize AI’s benefits, teens need to become AI literate . . .”
OpenAI suggests that ongoing AI literacy should be rooted in both our schools and local communities. They write, “AI also will continue to advance, so building and maintaining AI literacy will require fostering a culture of lifelong learning that is rooted in community institutions and values. This approach will not only help teens navigate AI safely today but also equip them to thrive in the AI-driven workforce and society of tomorrow.”
Within this context, the blueprint outlines a five-part approach to addressing AI literacy for teens:
1. Empower teachers to lead.
The theme of empowering teachers runs throughout the document. It acknowledges that teachers are the people who are working most closely with students on a daily basis, have the best opportunity to see what works, and are in a situation to best navigate the complicated evolution that will come from future AI adoption and integration.
OpenAI writes, “We believe teachers are irreplaceable, and that teachers should lead the implementation and pace of deployment of AI in the classroom.”
Empowering teachers includes various facets. One is that teachers should be the people to set the pace of AI integration in the classroom. A specific suggestion offered is that teachers might begin by learning about AI themselves and then applying it to tasks that can help them reduce administrative burdens, reallocating more time to working face-to-face with students.
Another suggestion is dedicating focus to training teachers. This training, argues OpenAI, should happen during contracted time and be developed in partnership with entities who can help support this professional learning. AI training should also be integrated into teacher preparation programs.
2. Strengthen core knowledge.
OpenAI argues that core knowledge will become more important in the age of AI. They point out that people will need a strong foundation in core subject-area knowledge in order to “interrogate AI outputs” and vet responses for accuracy.
To begin developing these skills, OpenAI suggests integrating AI modules into existing courses as a way to explore subject matter and better understand AI’s limitations. It writes that the goals should be “to team with AI to explore new knowledge; to use AI to support learning, not replace it; use AI for coursework transparently and with integrity; and how to manage AI as a decision-support tool.”
3. Create future-ready pathways/courses.
In this section, OpenAI specifically stresses the need for more math, science, and career and technical education (CTE) programs and offerings in order to prepare students to effectively engage with emerging tech and AI.
They write, “AI will create jobs we cannot yet imagine, and students who develop the resilience and fortitude to adapt to a rapidly changing economy will thrive. The best way to build these skills is through rigorous, future-focused STEM education. Strengthened math and science courses should teach students how to learn new technical concepts on their own, preparing them to continuously upskill, adopt new tools responsibly, and remain competitive in an AI-driven workforce.”
To accomplish this, the plan offers a few suggestions, including strengthening STEM graduation requirements, building next-generation coding skills, and modernizing and expanding CTE programs to include AI-related skills.
4. Connect communities of lifelong learners.
This point reemphasizes the fact that AI will continue to evolve and impact our society in ways we may not have yet considered. To navigate this ever-changing world, our students will need to be flexible and resilient lifelong learners.
Because of this, AI learning and upscaling will need to continue after students leave the K–12 educational system. In this light, OpenAI offers a suggestion: “Make schools, libraries, and civic organizations hubs for peer-to-peer AI exploration, mentorship, and hands-on learning. . . . By embedding AI literacy into community institutions, we can make AI education more accessible, relevant, and sustainable.”
While learning and skill building will likely begin in our K–12 schools for many students, it can’t end there. It will take efforts from the broader community as well.
5. Modernize infrastructure and guardrails.
This modernization includes policies, resources, and equitable access to technology.
The report emphasizes that having equitable access to robust broadband and modern devices is a prerequisite for developing AI literacy.
Beyond access to the hardware, schools need to develop policies and guidelines and also create a testing sandbox where teachers can experiment and determine what works. Schools also need to encourage idea sharing by developing open educational resources that “include plug-and-play AI modules aligned to grade-level standards” for teachers to access.
AVID Connections
This resource connects with the following components of the AVID College and Career Readiness Framework:
- Instruction
- Systems
- Leadership
- Rigorous Academic Preparedness
- Opportunity Knowledge
- Student Agency
- Insist on Rigor
- Break Down Barriers
- Align the Work
- Advocate for Students
- Collective Educator Agency
Extend Your Learning
- A Strong and Safe Start with AI: OpenAI’s Teen AI Literacy Blueprint (OpenAI)
- ChatGPT (OpenAI)