Currently Artificial intelligence technology plays a crucial role in developing education and future skills for learners. However, many teachers still face the challenge of designing AI-powered lessons that are appropriate for their learners. This includes a lack of tools and guidelines for organising effective learning activities.

A UNESCO report from the Ministerial Roundtable on Generative AI and Education (May 2023) found that more than 90% of teachers had received neither formal training nor guidance on how to use generative AI in schools. While this figure is alarming in itself, a closer examination reveals even deeper disparities, with significant gaps in access, support, and readiness between larger, better-resourced schools and smaller or underserved institutions.

A project on AI-supported learning for pilot schools was therefore initiated to support instructional practices aligned with the Media and AI Literacy Framework, while promoting innovative learning through the FOCAL Initiative: Future-Oriented Classrooms for AI Literacy.

The project aims to establish a network of pilot schools that will serve as model institutions for AI-enabled learning. These schools will trial innovative teaching approaches, refine scalable classroom practices, and foster collaboration among educators within Thailand and eventually across the broader region. Supported by SEAMEO STEM-ED and the PISA Centre of the Office of Basic Education Commission (OBEC), the initiative contributes to broader efforts in strengthening teacher development, advancing learner empowerment, and building a sustainable ecosystem for AI-integrated STEM education in the region.