November 17, 2025
A unique workshop led by St. John’s University First-Year Seminar students introduced high school students to the responsible use of artificial intelligence (AI).
The University hosted students from Bedford Stuyvesant New Beginnings Charter High School in Brooklyn, NY, on November 12 for an interactive event highlighting the ethical use of AI through demonstrations and discussions led entirely by First-Year Seminar students.
Held in the D’Angelo Center on the Queens, NY, campus and hosted by the Department of Core Studies in St. John’s College of Liberal Arts and Sciences, the program invited the visiting high school students to explore how artificial intelligence shapes the world while highlighting the importance of using technology responsibly. The event allowed the St. John’s students to apply their classroom learning by teaching and mentoring the visiting students.
“Using technology responsibly is not just a classroom exercise—it can shape how students learn, create, and engage with their community,” said Omar Lopez ’11G, Adjunct Professor, Department of Core Studies, who organized the event.
St. John’s First-Year Seminar students led the New Beginnings students through a series of presentations that included AI sourcing, checking for bias in AI-generated material, and recognizing when reliance on AI crosses the line into cheating. The high school students competed for St. John’s merchandise in a series of interactive quizzes that tested their knowledge. Johnny Thunderbird even made an appearance.
The New Beginnings students said the experience was both educational and inspiring.
“In today’s world, AI is everywhere,” Gianel Oscar Hernandez said. “It is important to learn how to use it responsibly and understand what it can and cannot do before going to college.”
Classmate Isabel Fernandez added: “This event is amazing. Everyone here is so kind and professional. The AI demonstrations were incredible. It is inspiring to see how much you can explore here.”
The St. John’s students were eager to share their expertise with the visiting high schoolers. Accounting student Conor Guilfoyle emphasized the importance of teaching students to learn about responsible AI use before they enter college. “The consequences can be severe, even for innocent mistakes,” he said.
Conor added that it can be beneficial for young students to learn about emerging technologies, such as AI, from those closer to their own age, like St. John’s First-Year Seminar students. “It is valuable to learn a tool if you have been taught by someone who has used it,” he said. “It can be easier to grasp the concept.”
New Beginnings teachers said the workshop provided their students with valuable exposure to college-level discussions about technology. “AI is not going anywhere,” teacher Zack Krajcik said. “It is going to be a big part of their futures. It is a tool they will have to learn to use responsibly, especially as they move into college.”
Among those attending the workshop was Luca Iandoli, Ph.D., Dean, The Lesley H. and William L. Collins College of Professional Studies, and Professor, Division of Computer Science, Mathematics, and Science. Dean Iandoli said the University’s expanding efforts in the education of new technologies, including its new AI Resource Hub, provide students and faculty with training and access to modern digital tools.
“AI presents both a learning and employability challenge,” Dean Iandoli said. “It is important for students to understand how to work with AI in the right way. Our goal is to help every student use AI safely and ethically. When you use it responsibly, you demonstrate professionalism and integrity.”
St. John’s First-Year Seminar course encourages students to engage both intellectually and personally with New York City. Faculty members develop courses using their own disciplines as frameworks to teach students how to think critically, develop information literacy skills, and experience the city.
“The curriculum is an important place for students to foster their own vision of social justice; to practice effective communication in a variety of contexts; to appreciate different cultural, economic, and religious perspectives; and to be intellectually curious,” Sophie R. Bell, Ph.D., Professor and Chair, Department of Core Studies, explained. “Students can only do the hard work of honing these skills if they develop the independent thinking that prepares them for the ethical and cognitive discipline necessary to wield AI tools in ways that serve their intellectual development, rather than replacing that development.”