PORT ST. LUCIE — A new organization focused on artificial intelligence education is preparing to launch its efforts in the community with a family-oriented event this weekend.
The Atlas Foundation, based in Port St. Lucie, is working to provide access to AI-related learning opportunities for students, educators and small businesses, while also hosting events designed to bring residents together.
“The main point of the foundation is that we're going to start doing free AI classes for kids, teachers, and small businesses of the community, so they can learn,” said Elda Medina of the Atlas Foundation. “The truth is that not everybody knows how to use it, how to deal with it.”
Medina said the organization’s focus extends beyond basic familiarity with widely known tools and aims to help people understand how artificial intelligence fits into everyday life.
“People think it's just ChatGPT and that's it. But it's more than that. It's for your day to day from now on in life,” she said. “So it's very important because the world is completely changing and going towards using AI for every single thing. Even in the schools, the kids need to learn how to use it while actually learning. Because if they just go to ChatGPT to get the answers, that's not the way to do it.”
As part of its launch, the foundation will host a free Easter event for families on April 5 at Turtle Run Park in Port St. Lucie. The event is scheduled from noon to 3 p.m. and will include a variety of activities for children and families.
Medina said the event will feature an Easter egg hunt with prizes, including several larger items hidden among the eggs.
“The eggs are going to have different prizes and candies. And three of the eggs are going to have the big prize. It's going to be a tablet,” she said. “So we're going to have three hidden tablets in the eggs.”
Additional activities are planned throughout the event, including entertainment and food options.
“We're going to have face painting, balloons. We're going to have free food with food trucks. We're going to have the shaved ice food truck and hot dogs and all that,” Medina said. “We're also going to have games for soccer and volleyball going on over there. And then DJ music and we're going to have the photos with the Easter Bunny.”
According to the organization, the event also serves as an introduction to its broader mission of offering accessible programs and resources centered on emerging technology.