Preston Castille, a Louisiana education leader, has opened the Helix AI and Medical Academy in Opelousas, marking the first new school built in the parish in decades. The 40,000-square-foot facility will teach K-5 students how to utilize artificial intelligence and prepare for AI-driven job markets, with classes beginning in August 2025.
The big picture: This represents one of the first elementary schools in the United States specifically designed around AI education, reflecting how educational institutions are adapting to integrate emerging technologies into core curriculum from an early age.
Key details: The school can accommodate up to 600 students and focuses on medical applications of AI while incorporating the technology across traditional subjects.
- Students will learn coding and use AI tools to assist with regular curriculum requirements.
- The facility plans to expand with a middle school section by the end of 2025, followed eventually by a high school.
- The school emerged from a partnership between Castille’s Helix Community Schools network and the St. Landry Parish school district after local tax measures to fund education failed twice.
How it works: The curriculum treats AI as a foundational tool rather than a replacement for critical thinking skills.
- Students will use AI to explore concepts, develop building blocks for creativity, and learn to “create and invent new ideas.”
- The school plans partnerships with local hospitals like Opelousas General Hospital to provide hands-on learning experiences.
- The program will adapt continuously to keep pace with rapidly evolving AI technology.
What they’re saying: Castille draws parallels between current AI concerns and historical technology adoption debates.
- “It’s kind of like the calculator,” Castille said. “Once upon a time, that same argument was we don’t want kids using calculators because they will use it as a crutch. Now it’s understood that that’s just a tool.”
- “Children now are starting to explore and understand that artificial intelligence really is a powerful tool,” he explained. “What you’re seeing now is the tip of the iceberg.”
The backstory: Castille’s vision took shape around 2022 when generative AI was still in early stages, with the school board initially considering the concept “novel” until ChatGPT demonstrated AI’s practical applications.
- As a law professor, Castille required students to use AI to write 35-page papers, finding that the technology served as a “jumping-off point” rather than completing assignments entirely.
- The project fulfills Castille’s promise to give back to his hometown community after becoming valedictorian of Plaisance High School and pursuing careers in law and education.
Why this matters: The school addresses growing concerns about AI’s role in education by teaching students to harness the technology responsibly rather than viewing it as a threat to academic integrity, potentially serving as a model for other districts navigating similar challenges.
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