‘Hour of AI’ brings hands-on AI literacy to Idaho elementary classrooms

Summary

LocalNews8 reports that the global “Hour of AI” program has reached students in the Pocatello/Chubbuck school district in Idaho, giving elementary-schoolers a taste of coding and AI concepts through playful, structured activities.([localnews8.com](https://localnews8.com/news/2025/12/14/hour-of-ai-comes-to-pocatello-chubbuck-district-classrooms/)) At Tyhee Elementary, students used micro:bit devices to program simple displays and sounds, while at Ellis Elementary, classes worked through AI-powered mystery games like tracking down Santa’s missing sleigh, blending storytelling with problem-solving. Teachers say the activities are boosting critical thinking and encouraging students at very different academic levels to collaborate and think “outside the box.” At the same time, educators are explicitly discussing AI’s “good, bad and ugly,” including safety and misuse, so children see the technology as something to understand and interrogate rather than just a magical black box. The story underscores how AI literacy is starting to look less like advanced computer science and more like a core part of basic digital citizenship in US schools.