Teens in AI and Sage renew Partnership signifying a continued commitment to fostering talent and promoting diversity, equity and inclusion in tech, following a successful two-year initial partnership.
London, UK, 19 February 2024 – Teens in AI, an initiative focused on inspiring teens to explore a future in tech and AI through collaborative, hands-on learning experiences, renews its partnership with Sage, the leader in accounting, financial, HR, and payroll tech for small and mid-sized businesses. Both organisations share a common goal in leveraging technology to build an equitable world where every individual has an equal chance to unlock their potential, fostering innovation and generating positive societal change.
Recognising the global challenges in diversity, recent studies, including McKinsey & Company’s research and the World Economic Forum’s data, highlight the slow progress in diversifying leadership in tech and AI, not just in terms of gender, but also in ethnic representation and inclusion of underrepresented groups. Teens in AI’s initiatives focus on breaking down barriers across a wide spectrum, ensuring that everyone, regardless of gender, ethnicity, or socio-economic background, has the opportunity to participate and excel in the evolving world of technology.
This two-year renewal signifies a continued commitment to fostering talent and promoting diversity, equity and inclusion in tech, following a successful two-year initial partnership.
Over the past two years, they have achieved significant impact with Sage committing specialist-in-field speakers and judges, and dedicating some 245 mentorship hours to teens in the development of their United Nations Sustainable Development Goal-focused projects across both flagship programmes. In partnership, Sage and Teens in AI positively impacted the development and education of nearly 1,600 teens from six ethnic backgrounds across 46 countries, underscoring their aligned commitment to fostering global inclusivity and representation. 42% of participants identified as female and non-binary, representing a significant step forward in promoting gender diversity.
Aaron Harris, Chief Technology Officer at Sage, comments: “We’re excited to continue our partnership with Teens in AI to inspire young people to explore a future in technology. At Sage, we value technology’s power to do good. Together, we’ll enhance opportunities for teens to harness technology for meaningful impact, champion diverse perspectives and shape a more inclusive AI future.”
This commitment strongly aligns with Teens in AI’s mission to foster an inclusive AI ecosystem, emphasising the importance of AI literacy, education, and awareness across diverse groups.
Teens in AI Founder and CEO, Elena Sinel, adds: “We are delighted to extend our partnership with Sage. Their commitment to empowering young minds aligns seamlessly with our mission. Over the course of our partnership, Sage has played a crucial role as our Platinum Partner, providing mentorship and support to our participants. Together, we are not only preparing teens for the future but are also dedicated to diversity and inclusion. We champion girls and those identifying as non-binary, but also those from underrepresented backgrounds. This partnership enables us to create meaningful opportunities for teens to make a real difference in the world through technology.”
Over the next two years, Teens in AI is poised to deliver greater impact. They plan to leverage not only their annual International Women’s Day Global Techathon and AI4Good Incubator campaigns, but also introduce the innovative AI Adventures Courses programme where Sage and Teens in AI will commit to creating courses that will aim to inspire teenagers into responsible AI. Concurrently, the organisation is elevating its virtual event series launched in 2023, Teens in Action Forum, where global AI leaders empower and engage teens in thought-provoking conversations around AI topics. This comprehensive approach aims to significantly enhance the accessibility and impact of Teens in AI’s initiatives, offering young minds diverse pathways to explore and contribute to the field of artificial intelligence.
Sage’s support is integral, playing a vital role in ensuring the success of these initiatives and advancing the broader mission of Teens in AI. Our combined impact is perfectly encapsulated in the words of one of our teen participants, Eya from Tunisia, who joined us in our recent AI4Good Incubator: “It is an experience that sharpens your personality in different ways. Mentors and coordinators, all of them gather to help you give your best. With a little message or positive note they encourage you … I loved how diverse this programme is, teens like me from all over the globe capable of changing the world in just 5 days.“
As they work together on a global scale, Teens in AI and Sage are poised to make a lasting impact on the lives of young people everywhere, encouraging them to pursue careers in technology and contribute to building a more inclusive and equitable future.
~ Ends ~
About Teens in AI
Inspiring teens to explore a future in tech and AI through collaborative hands-on learning experiences. We believe in harnessing technology to create a fair world where everyone has equal opportunity to maximise their potential.
About Teens in AI
Launched in 2018 at the United Nations AI for Good Global Summit, Teens in AI is a social impact-driven initiative that inspires teens to explore a future in tech and AI through collaborative, hands-on learning experiences. Since its inception, Teens in AI has been instrumental in guiding over 12,000 young minds across 76 countries, leading initiatives that resonate with UN Sustainable Development Goals. It provides teens, aged 12 to 18, the platform and knowledge to create AI solutions with societal benefit at their core. They believe in harnessing technology to create a fair world where everyone has equal opportunity to maximise their potential. By encouraging diverse perspectives, Teens in AI acts as a catalyst for change, inspiring the next generation of responsible leaders, innovators, and technologists from all walks of life to shape the world of tomorrow.
For more information please contact:
Media enquiries: Bev Chislett, Head of Marketing, Teens in AI [email protected]
About Sage
Sage exists to knock down barriers so everyone can thrive, starting with the millions of Small and Mid-Sized Businesses served by us, our partners and accountants. Customers trust our finance, HR and payroll software to make work and money flow. By digitising business processes and relationships with customers, suppliers, employees, banks and governments, our digital network connects SMBs, removing friction and delivering insights. Knocking down barriers also means we use our time, technology and experience to tackle digital inequality, economic inequality and the climate crisis.
For more information please contact:
Visit Sage’s website for further information: www.sage.com
