Partnering For Impact:
The Chapman Family Foundation acknowledges Google.org’s $200,000 grant as a pivotal investment that enabled the launch of two strategic community programs: the “Breakfast with Santa” initiative in December 2024 and the inaugural “AI in the D” youth camp in July 2025. These programs reflect a shared focus on closing opportunity gaps and expanding equitable access to digital tools and economic mobility.
Foundation Background
The Chapman Family Foundation, founded by attorney and entrepreneur Tamira Chapman, is a Detroit-based nonprofit focused on education, economic justice, hunger relief, and community development. Drawing from Tamira’s experience leading Fortune 50 legal strategy and building market-leading e-commerce businesses, the Foundation centers its work on empowering youth and underserved populations through technology-forward programs and long-term resource access.
Google.Org Partnership:
Investing in Detroit’s Future
Our collaboration with Google.org was formally announced during a city-wide “Breakfast with Santa” event in December 2024. The celebration supported 200 underserved children and their families and served as the launchpad for Google.org’s $200,000 investment in our expanded digital learning agenda. That funding supported the “AI in the D” initiative, which includes targeted programming for both youth and senior citizens in Detroit.
State Of AI in Detroit
Artificial intelligence continues to redefine how industries operate, yet Detroit’s communities remain disconnected from these tools due to limited exposure, access, and training. “AI in the D” is designed to dismantle those barriers by delivering structured, community-rooted AI education to those most at risk of being left behind.
Nationally, urban youth remain significantly underrepresented in the AI pipeline, making up less than 10 percent of participants in structured tech education despite comprising nearly a third of the U.S. population. At the same time, only 25 percent of K–12 public schools in low-income communities offer formal computer science or AI coursework, compared to over 50 percent in more affluent districts. “AI in the D” addresses these disparities directly by creating early exposure and career-connected learning in underserved communities.
Grant Purpose and Strategic Goals
The funding supports a 12-month pilot model that includes:
- Two youth-focused AI and entrepreneurship camps (serving over 200 students)
- A series of AI literacy workshops for seniors (initial cohort: 100 participants)
- Distribution of laptops, software licenses, and digital tools
- Creation of a replicable, community-based curriculum for AI training
Camp Overview and Outcomes
On July 23, “AI in the D” convened more than 100 Detroit high school students at Fellowship Chapel for a full-day immersion in artificial intelligence, business innovation, and collaborative problem-solving. Students received laptops, learned how to use AI tools like Gemini and ChatGPT to develop business ideas, and participated in a live pitch competition with professional judges and cash prizes.
Pre-program survey data showed that while over 80 percent of students had used AI tools such as ChatGPT, Grammarly, Snapchat filters, or voice assistants, their understanding of AI remained introductory. Most students had encountered AI through TikTok, YouTube, school classes, or informal social media posts. In terms of usage, they primarily applied AI for brainstorming ideas, completing homework, or asking questions.
Average self-reported confidence
scores (on a 5-point scale) prior
to the camp were:
- 2.8 in explaining what AI is
- 3.5 in identifying AI in the real world
- 3.8 in using AI to solve a problem
- 4.0 in asking questions to an AI tool
- 3.5 in creating an AI-powered business idea
These insights underscored the need for
structured, hands-on instruction.
By the end of the camp:
- 100% of students created an original AI-driven business concept
- 94% reported increased confidence using AI
- 83% expressed interest in pursuing careers in STEM or entrepreneurship
The event concluded with an award ceremony that distributed $10,000 in prizes to the first, second, and third place winners, followed by remarks from Chapman Foundation leadership reaffirming the shared commitment to inclusive innovation.
What’s Next
The next phase of “AI in the D” is now underway in partnership with the City of Detroit. We are piloting our senior-focused AI literacy series in August, with events scheduled on both the east and west sides of the city. Each session has more than 50 seniors registered. These workshops are designed to teach foundational AI skills and to measure knowledge gains before and after participation.
Among older adults in urban areas, over 40 percent lack the digital literacy needed to interact with AI-enabled tools, affecting healthcare access, communication, and essential services. The data collected will be used to evaluate impact and inform future scale, with findings shared with Google.org and aligned partners.
