EVANSTON, Ohio — What began as a student-led effort at Walnut Hills High School has grown into an international nonprofit that helps thousands of young people learn to use artificial intelligence responsibly.
Founded in 2024 by 16-year-old Walnut Hills senior Samarth Khandelwal, Students for AI Literacy, or SAIL, teaches students how AI works, how to identify misinformation and how to use AI tools safely and effectively.
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The organization has already reached more than 16,000 students and expanded to 13 chapters across multiple states and countries.
"We specifically focus on AI literacy, how to use AI safely, and also misinformation," Khandelwal said.
Khandelwal said he launched the organization after noticing students were rapidly adopting AI tools such as ChatGPT while schools struggled to keep pace with teaching students how to use them.
"When ChatGPT was released, people didn't really understand how it worked or how to use it properly," Khandelwal said. "There were also teachers and adults who didn't understand exactly how to do it. But there was no one responsible for actually teaching people how to use this."
His own experience mirrored what many students were facing.
He said that as a middle school student, he often used AI without fully understanding its capabilities or limitations. As the technology became more common, he realized students, teachers and parents needed guidance.
That need became even more apparent as Ohio moved to require schools to establish policies governing artificial intelligence use.
"Every high school was required to have an AI use policy by the start of this school year, and Ohio was the first state to do this," Khandelwal said. "So noticing this gap in the lack of an organization or someone being tasked with explaining to people what AI is and how to use it is why I really started this organization."
The nonprofit's lessons focus on three major areas: understanding how AI systems work, recognizing AI-generated misinformation, and developing effective prompting skills.
During workshops, students learn not only what AI can do, but also how to use it ethically.
Khandelwal often compares AI to a smartphone.
Like a phone, he said, AI can be a powerful tool when used responsibly but harmful if abused.
"You can be using it as a personal tutor to help you with assignments, but you can also be misusing it to cheat or essentially do assignments for you," he said.
The organization's growth has been rapid.
What began at Walnut Hills has expanded into chapters in Ohio, Massachusetts and Texas, with international chapters now being established in Uganda and Uzbekistan. Khandelwal said social media, personal connections and a strong online presence have helped spread the mission.
Recently, the organization was awarded a Google Ad Grant worth $120,000 annually in advertising credits, helping increase awareness of its programs.
SAIL has hosted workshops at Boys & Girls Club locations in West Chester and Liberty Township, as well as at schools and community organizations throughout the region. More workshops are planned in the coming months.
"We have an event in two weeks coming at the St. Jude School, and then we also did one at the Hyde Park School three weeks ago," Khandelwal said.
While Khandelwal focuses on growing the organization, Walnut Hills senior Jason Bronson Jr. helps manage the nonprofit's finances as treasurer.
Bronson joined SAIL earlier this year after wanting to better understand AI's impact on society.
"When Samarth posed me with the offer of joining his company, I really thought about my usage of AI," Bronson said. "Kids today, including myself, sometimes use AI loosely, and it would be beneficial if they had a way to learn about the positive effects and the negative effects of what AI has to offer."
As treasurer, Bronson oversees grant applications and the organization's financial planning. SAIL has received approximately $2,900 in grant funding and continues pursuing larger funding opportunities to support expansion efforts.
Among its current projects is a grant proposal seeking $22,000 from the Martha Holden Jennings Foundation.
The organization is also working with Cincinnati Public Schools on a proposed initiative called CPS Research Scholars.
If funded, the program would provide approximately 150 students across the district with opportunities to conduct academic research, work alongside mentors, compete in science fairs and potentially publish their work.
Khandelwal said the program is designed to address inequities in access to research opportunities, which often require expensive resources and mentorship networks that are not available to every student.
For Bronson, helping students understand both the promise and risks of AI remains one of the organization's top priorities.
"As it evolves, our knowledge of its evolution is definitely vital for us to weigh the positive and negative effects," he said.
Bronson acknowledges concerns about AI replacing jobs but believes the conversation often overlooks the technology's potential benefits.
"I do agree there are really big negative aspects of AI in taking over jobs," he said. "But there are also many positive effects of AI in research, literacy, teaching, and it can be used for the betterment of society."
As both seniors prepare for life after graduation, they hope the organization will continue growing long after they leave Walnut Hills.
Khandelwal said maintaining quality while expanding remains his top priority.
"I think the main hope is that the organization keeps growing," he said. "Ensuring all these chapters are actually doing stuff and contributing to our mission is really important to me."
