US helps Vietnam train AI trainers

The U.S. Mission to Vietnam, in partnership with STEAM for Vietnam and others, has concluded an event to introduce Generative AI (Gen AI) in education in Vietnam.

The event "Train the Trainers 2024 - Demo Day: Activate AI Mode - Welcoming the New School Year" provided teachers across the country with the opportunity to showcase creative and unique teaching products to develop thousands of secondary and high school students’ knowledge of computational thinking and inspire them to become engineers in the future.

The event drew the participation of nearly 15,000 online views, along with over 600 teachers registered and attending in person at 10 locations.

With over 8,000 applications for the program, 15 instructors and advisors and 10 outstanding final projects, the event garnered widespread attention from the Vietnamese education community.

Teachers submitted 827 projects, showcasing their creativity and dedication in applying Generative AI in their lesson plans.

Nguyen Minh Duc, director of the department of teachers and educational administrators under the Ministry of Education and Training, said: "The Ministry of Education and Training looks forward to working directly with STEAM for Vietnam in the near future to discuss plans to expand training activities for teachers on using Generative AI in teaching, as well as to promote the 10 sample lessons and specific products selected today, by adding them to the Ministry's digital repository to help teachers nationwide access and reference them in their activities."

Mary Beth Polley, counselor for public affairs at the U.S. Embassy in Vietnam, highlighted the teachers’ contributions in building a vibrant STEAM community that is leading the way in integrating AI into education. The teachers have played a remarkable role in positioning Vietnam as a high-tech economy and preparing Vietnamese students to become future global leaders.

Train the Trainers - AI Summer Camp, initiated by STEAM for Vietnam, is one of the first nationwide AI courses for teachers. The course aims to pioneer the integration of AI into education, enabling teachers to apply practical AI applications in the classroom, such as lesson planning, grading, and lecture creation.

The program consists of eight lectures and is held online every Sunday from June to August 2024. Additional support activities for teachers, educational organizations, and educators will continue throughout the year with the STEAMese Festival 2024 scheduled for October 2024; the Southeast Asia Scratch Educator Meetup 2024 in October 2024; and a series of workshops on AI applications in the teaching community from 2024 to 2025.

STEAM for Vietnam Foundation is a U.S. non-profit organization that aims to promote STEAM (science, technology, engineering, arts, mathematics) education activities in Vietnam. The STEAM for Vietnam team is operated by a network of over 200 volunteers, including experts, students, and Vietnamese international students worldwide.

In just three years since its establishment, STEAM for Vietnam has reached over 50,000 students and more than 4,000 teachers, equipping them with knowledge in computer science, programming, and robotics.