SJI Utilities Hosts Mark Cuban Foundation’s AI Bootcamp for Local High School Students

FOLSOM, NJ, November 18, 2024 – Demonstrating its commitment to investing in the communities it serves, SJI Utilities proudly welcomed 40 New Jersey high school students to the Mark Cuban Foundation's Artificial Intelligence (AI) Bootcamp. For the first half of November, students from Union and Atlantic City spent their Saturdays learning about AI, and how it powers generative tools in their everyday lives like ChatGPT and chatbots.

Founded in 2019, the Mark Cuban Foundation AI Bootcamp is a free, nationwide initiative offered to high school students interested in artificial intelligence and other emerging technologies. Over the course of three-half day sessions, students learned what artificial intelligence is and where they already interact with AI in their own lives. In addition, students learned the ethical implications of AI systems, including but not limited to TikTok recommendations, smart home assistants, facial recognition, and self-driving cars. Participants also learned how Large Language Models like ChatGPT function.

“Every year, we look forward to hosting these excited high school students for the Mark Cuban Foundation's AI Bootcamp,” said Barbara Romano, vice president, IT & chief information officer, SJI. “As artificial intelligence becomes more integrated into our daily lives, it’s important that young people learn how to properly use it. AI has the potential to transform industries, drive innovation, and solve complex challenges, making it an imperative skill for our future generations to have.”

Students engaged with virtual learning modules and then applied their lessons through collaborative class projects with their peers. On the final day of the bootcamp, they had the opportunity to present their work to the class. No prior experience in information technology or computer programming was necessary to participate.

“Over the past three Saturdays my experience at the Marc Cuban AI Bootcamp has been both exciting and enlightening,” said Somadina Ekwe, Newark School of Data Science and Information Technology. “I’ve learned about the fundamentals of artificial intelligence, its applications, and how to work with tools like AI-related and Machine Learning algorithms, and the collaboration with like-minded peers and interaction with hands-on projects, has been inspiring. I especially enjoyed the focus on real world problem-solving using AI. The mentors also made the concepts easier to understand and the Human Resources session at the end was great. Overall, it’s been amazing!”

For more information about SJI and its subsidiaries, please visit sjindustries.com.