Help a child go from “what is AI?” to “look what I made with it.”
AI Academy is a nonprofit that uses AI to coach kids ages 8 to 12 across STEAM (science, technology, engineering, arts, and math), helping them build real projects and learn to use AI responsibly and fairly. Your support brings that opportunity to the children who need it most.
Why it matters
AI is reshaping the world, and most kids are being left behind.
Few children, especially in underserved communities, are ever taught how AI actually works or how to use it responsibly. They grow up using tools they were never shown how to understand.
AI Academy exists to close that gap, one child at a time.
Every contribution puts a child in the creator's seat.
Free places for kids
Your sponsorship keeps every place in the program free, so cost is never a barrier to a child taking part.
Tools & technology
Devices, software, and safe AI tools so every child can actually build.
Mentors & small groups
Trained instructors and small groups mean every child gets the guidance and encouragement they need.
Meet the directors.
AI Academy is led by researchers and educators who have spent their careers making advanced technology understandable, and who believe every child deserves a place in it.
Meet our executive director
Dr. Presley Ifukor
Executive Director & Chair of the Board of Directors
Dr. Presley Ifukor is the Executive Director of Ai4Kids and Chair of the Board of Directors, bringing advanced AI training, cognitive science expertise, and community-focused leadership to the mission of preparing children for an AI-powered future.
He holds a Master of Science in Cognitive Science and a PhD from the University of Osnabrück, Germany, with graduate training in artificial intelligence and logic programming, computational linguistics, computer-aided learning, and natural language processing. Long before AI became mainstream, Dr. Ifukor was researching AI in education, publishing work on computational reasoning with analogies and metaphors in 2005 and contributing in 2006 to an intelligent tutoring system that used analogical reasoning, adaptive feedback, learner modeling, error detection, and dynamic exercise generation to help children learn mathematics. He has also served as a Visiting Scholar at Rutgers University and Boston University in the USA.
At Ai4Kids, Dr. Ifukor advances a clear and inclusive vision: AI education should be accessible, engaging, beginner-friendly, and empowering for every child. Under his leadership, Ai4Kids is more than a technology program. It is a child-centered learning movement that nurtures curiosity, creativity, ethical awareness, problem-solving, and confidence.
Board of Directors
Dr. Makanjuola Ogunleye
Member, Board of Directors, AI4Kids
Dr. Makanjuola Ogunleye is an AI researcher, inventor, and educator with expertise in multimodal AI, large language models, and multi-agent systems. He earned his Ph.D. in Computer Science from Virginia Tech, USA in 2026, where his research focused on developing trustworthy AI systems that can better understand, reason about, and collaborate with humans. His work has been published in leading AI venues, including CVPR and TMLR, with contributions spanning vision-language learning, embodied AI, and hallucination mitigation.
In addition to his academic research, Dr. Ogunleye has extensive industry experience through multiple internships at Intuit, where he contributed to generative AI and retrieval-augmented systems for real-world products. His work also led to a U.S. patent in AI-driven business health scoring. He has collaborated with Amazon Alexa through the Alexa Prize Taskbot Challenge and has received several honors, including the Cadence Black in Technology Award.
As a member of the Board of Directors for Ai4Kids, Dr. Ogunleye brings a unique blend of research excellence, industry innovation, and educational leadership. He is passionate about making AI education accessible and empowering young learners to become not just users of AI, but future creators and leaders in the field.
Advisory Board
Tobe Nnadozie
Advisory Board Member, AI4Kids
Tobe Nnadozie is a technology executive, digital transformation leader, and innovation strategist with more than two decades of experience across the private and public sectors. He brings AI4Kids deep expertise in enterprise technology, digital innovation, and youth mentorship, all essential to equipping children with the skills to build and understand artificial intelligence.
After beginning his career in oil and gas and public service, Tobe spent over 20 years in financial services, holding senior roles in leading banks and insurance institutions. Today he serves on the boards of financial, technology, and health organizations across several countries, and on the Executive Management Committee of the Central Securities Clearing System (CSCS) Plc. He holds a Master's in Information Technology from the University of Lagos and an MBA from Bangor University in Wales, and is a Fellow of the British Computer Society and a Chartered Banker, among other credentials.
Deeply passionate about youth development, Tobe has mentored countless young professionals in technology and leadership. As an Advisory Board Member at AI4Kids, he combines technical depth, operational leadership, and a heartfelt commitment to shaping the next generation of innovators, inspiring children to explore AI with confidence, creativity, and curiosity.
Advisory Board
Bukky Adegbulu
Advisory Board Member, AI Academy
Bukky Adegbulu is an elementary school teacher with Edmonton Public Schools and a passionate educator who sees teaching not simply as a profession, but as a divine calling. She believes that education is an opportunity to influence lives, nurture potential, and help children discover their unique gifts and natural abilities.
Bukky is deeply committed to creating a classroom environment where every child feels seen, valued, respected, and encouraged. She believes that each student is unique and precious, with their own strengths, personality, learning style, experiences, and potential. Her approach to teaching is rooted in building meaningful relationships with students and creating engaging, supportive, and inclusive learning experiences where children can grow academically, socially, and personally.
With a passion for elementary education, Bukky embraces hands-on learning, inquiry, creativity, storytelling, and meaningful connections across the curriculum. She strives to make learning purposeful and joyful while helping students develop confidence, curiosity, critical thinking, and a lifelong love of learning.
Above all, Bukky considers the opportunity to teach children a divinely-entrusted stewardship. She is passionate about using her gifts, knowledge, and influence to serve children faithfully and to help shape the next generation with excellence, compassion, and purpose. Her experience has been valuable for the curriculum design and programming of Ai4kids.
A message from our director
When we started AI Academy, we held one belief: every child deserves to understand the technology shaping their world, and to feel like a creator, not just a user.
Over six weeks, our students don't just learn about AI. They use it to explore STEAM and build real projects they are proud of. Watching a child go from “what is AI?” to “look what I made” is why we do this work.
With the support of partners and sponsors, we can bring that experience to the children who need it most. Thank you for believing in them.
Dr. Presley Ifukor
Executive Director
Six weeks that turn kids into AI creators.
Kids ages 8 to 12 use AI to explore STEAM (science, technology, engineering, arts, and math) and build a real project they are proud of. Take a closer look at the program and what our students made.
What they learn
Partner with us, or give directly.
Whether you're an organization looking to partner or an individual who wants to give, there's a place for you at AI Academy.
Community Partner
For organizations: ongoing partnership and shared recognition.
Program Sponsor
Fund a full cohort of young creators, from first lesson to final showcase.
Individual Supporter
Give any amount to help one more child take part.
Get involved
Let's build the next generation of AI creators, together.
Reach out to explore partnership, sponsorship, or giving. We'd love to tell you more about AI Academy and the children you'd be supporting.