Surrey Schools hosts free AI literacy event for parents June 11
Expert panel explores how families can navigate artificial intelligence safely; registration open for virtual event.
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Surrey Schools is hosting a free virtual event Thursday evening to help parents understand artificial intelligence and how to guide their children's use of it safely.
The event, titled "Junk, Toxic & Healthy AI: Helping Families Understand the Difference," runs Thursday, June 11 and will feature Surrey Schools Superintendent Mark Pearmain alongside Dr. Shimi Kang, a Vancouver psychiatrist, author, and clinical associate professor at UBC.
The discussion focuses on how AI is shaping youth development, student learning, and mental health, while providing practical tools for parents to have conversations at home. Pearmain told Peace Arch News that schools recognize AI is already in students' lives and that educators have a responsibility to help them use it responsibly.
"Artificial intelligence is here, and we can't put the genie back in the bottle, even if that's what someone wishes," Pearmain said. Surrey Schools currently has six approved educational AI platforms in classrooms. Before use, each undergoes a privacy impact assessment to evaluate student safety and data protection.
Kang will frame the conversation using food metaphors familiar to families. She compares healthy technology use to a balanced diet, explaining that some forms of technology support learning, creativity, and well-being, while others offer little value or can cause harm if overused. "Junk tech" is the digital equivalent of junk food — mindlessly consumed content with little benefit. The metaphor is designed to help families deal with technology that's constantly changing.
Peramain emphasized that Surrey Schools is committed to balancing technology education with outdoor, hands-on learning. "We're going to teach kids future-ready skills for AI, and we also want them to understand and enjoy being out in nature, participating in the arts, play on sports teams, and be part of drama productions," he said.
The event is free and virtual. This is an opportunity for parents to develop skills, learn about bias in AI, understand how it can hallucinate or fail, and ask questions in a safe, supervised setting.