Ypsilanti Community High School (YCHS) has been named the first-ever HP AI Spotlight School in the United States, establishing itself as a national leader in artificial intelligence (AI) education. This honor comes through a partnership with Digital Promise, a nonprofit dedicated to innovation in education, along with major technology collaborators including HP, Microsoft and Intel.
With the unveiling of a cutting-edge AI Lab, YCHS stands as a model for integrating AI tools and instruction into public education — without any direct costs to the school district.
Empowering students for the future
YCHS math teacher Andrea Stanczyk, who has served the district for nine years, emphasized the new initiative’s transformative power.
“Being named the ‘First HP AI Spotlight School’ signifies our role as a model school in the State of Michigan,” Stanczyk said.
She believes AI tools can help shift classroom focus toward deeper thinking and creativity.
“We are demonstrating how AI can facilitate more engaging and effective teaching methods, enabling educators to focus on fostering critical thinking and creativity,” she said.
“Our students are gaining skills that are essential for the future workforce, such as digital literacy and problem-solving abilities.”
Stanczyk noted that the school also aims to serve as a learning hub for other districts.
“Other schools can look to us for best practices and insights on implementing AI in their own districts, thereby expanding the impact of this technology in education.”
AI tools and curriculum in action
Students at YCHS are exploring AI through hands-on learning in areas such as AI fundamentals, machine learning, data literacy and ethics. The new HP AI Lab features:
- 12 HP Z-series student computers
- 1 teacher workstation
- Podcasting and video production equipment
Students use a wide range of AI tools, including:
- Read&Write for Google by Texthelp
- OrbitNote by Texthelp
- ChatGPT/Generative AI tools
- NotebookLM, Gemini, Gems
- MagicSchool AI
- Canva
“The goal is to have it (AI tools) available for all teachers to use with their students and a game design course in the lab daily,” Stanczyk said.
Importantly, the lab and equipment came at no cost to the district.
“The equipment and professional learning are provided at no cost to the district/school through our work with Digital Promise, state educational grants and local partnerships,” Stanczyk said.
Fostering ethical use and digital citizenship
Stanczyk emphasized that while AI can do amazing things — write, code, compose music, generate art — it also comes with risks.
“We teach our students the importance of ethics, transparency and the use of AI responsibly. We teach our scholars on how not to use AI inappropriately.”
This may include awareness of threats like misinformation, hacking, deepfakes and academic dishonesty.
“We encourage our educators to use AI tools to customize learning pathways and to learn the programs with their scholars. For our scholars, we encourage them to use the AI bots as thinking partners… AI should be seen as helpful tools for learning rather than replacing people.”
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Support from Digital Promise
Nick Schiner, Director of Networks and Program Team at Digital Promise, shared why YCHS was chosen.
“Ypsilanti Community High School was selected for the work that they are doing as a district,” he said. “Their superintendent is very involved, I believe, at the state level, in terms of AI education and policy. The work they are doing is incredible.”
Schiner praised Superintendent Dr. Elena Zachary Ross and YCHS’s leadership role in the League of Innovative Schools, a Digital Promise network. He also shared specifics about the lab:
- 13 HP Z Series desktops running Windows 11
- Professional-grade podcast mixer, microphones, wireless mics
- DSLR cameras for video projects
The estimated value of the equipment is around $60,000, though Schiner said exact numbers are hard to quantify due to economic volatility.
“We get the opportunity to see what this looks like on the ground… how students are using it, how they’re talking about it, and what skills and knowledge are coming from it.”
At the ribbon-cutting, he recalled students immediately exploring tools like Unreal Engine and Microsoft Copilot, and others completing AI coding modules in Minecraft.
Local expert weighs in
Dr. Mitchell M. Rohde, founder of Rohde Way LLC and an instructor at the University of Michigan Center for Entrepreneurship, applauded the district’s focus.
“My opinion is that, just like a calculator in math class, AI should be augmentative and never used to displace/replace learning of core concepts or skills,” he said.
Rohde, who has worked in AI since the 1980s and co-founded Quantum Signal AI, supports teaching students how AI works, not just how to use it.
He emphasized key questions educators should consider:
- Do instructors understand AI well enough to teach it?
- Are students taught to recognize AI “hallucinations”?
- Are we teaching generative tools beyond just text?
He outlined potential benefits — like using AI for research, writing feedback and step-by-step math instruction — alongside cautions about misuse and overreliance.
A Model for schools nationwide
As the first AI Spotlight School, Ypsilanti Community High School is integrating cutting-edge tools into learning and setting the standard for ethical, inclusive, and forward-thinking AI education. Thanks to strong leadership, innovative teachers and support from national organizations, the school is helping to shape the future of education — one student and one algorithm at a time.
