Supporting Tomorrow’s Leaders in Innovation

Our Company strongly believes in supporting tomorrow’s leaders and recognizes the important role that technology and innovation will play in the future of the workforce. In fact, recent studies suggest that as many as half of all jobs in the U.S. will experience some level of automation, much of that enabled by recent advances in AI. Unfortunately, many communities likely to be most impacted by this evolution are also those who lack access to education to prepare them for the future of the workplace.  

This led us to become an early partner of the AI Education Project (AIEDU), a nonprofit organization which provides low-income and underrepresented students with accessible curriculum. Our support and early funding helped the organization launch their inaugural “Intro to AI” pilot program in Akron, OH, which it then scaled to other schools across the state.

Students who complete AIEDU’s “Introduction to AI” course learn about basic concepts behind Artificial Intelligence: the role of data, how that data is used by algorithms and AI models and some of the challenges to various uses. These concepts are conveyed through the lens of career exploration, guiding students through a process of self-discovery where they connect real-world technologies with their own passions and career interests.

“The J.M. Smucker Co. provided a transformational seed grant that helped our organization significantly scale our efforts,” said Alex Kotran, Co-Founder & President of AIEDU. “Since we first partnered, AIEDU has helped over 20,000 students across the country further their development through technological exploration and education. We could not be more excited to expand our work to even more students, and we’re grateful to have had Smucker as a key partner on this journey from the start.”

Our Company remains committed to ensuring equal opportunities for education and skill development, and we’re enthusiastic about the future opportunities AIEDU’s work will present to support this.

For more efforts in support of our Thriving Together agenda, check out our 2021 Corporate Impact Report.