Q&A: Meet the Teen Behind Birmingham Public Library's Digital Literacy Summer Workshop

 

Ishaan Jain, 15, is instructor & creator of BPL's Digital Literacy Summer Workshop

Meet Ishaan Jain, founder of “Uplyftz”, an organization helping teens become creators, not just consumers

Name: Ishaan Jain

Age: 15

School: Indian Springs School

Grade (Fall 2026): Junior (11)

Hometown: Vestavia, AL

Favorite School Subject: Chemistry

Favorite Book: Scythe

Favorite Author & Why: NealShusterman (the author of Scythe). He explores unspoken realities and injustices of the world through my favorite genre,  sci-fi/dystopian futures.

Favorite Movie: Iron Man 2

Favorite Music Genre & Artist:  Pop/Coldplay

Hobbies and Interests: Programming, Piano, Singing, Debate

Future Career Aspirations: Entrepreneur/Building Artificial Intelligence and Data-Powered Tools to Improve Day-to-Day Life, Such as in Patient Care

Fun Fact About Me: I can solve a Rubik’s cube in under 20 seconds!

ON the Record with Ishaan Jain, BPL Digital Literacy Summer Workshop Instructor

Ishaan has a passion for engaging middle school kids and helping them learn about the applications of Coding, AI and 3D Design

Birmingham, Ala. - Watching Ishaan Jain teach the Digital Literacy Summer Workshop at the Birmingham Public Library (BPL) this summer, it would be easy to forget that he's still a high school student himself.

The rising Indian Springs School junior and his team, Riya Purohit and Arth Gandhi, conducted this workshop at Central Library downtown on June 25. Ishaan moved comfortably around the room, helping students troubleshoot problems, answering questions and explaining concepts related to coding, artificial intelligence and 3D design with remarkable confidence and patience. 

His enthusiasm for technology was evident, but even more impressive was his ability to connect with younger students and make learning fun. His organization, Uplyftz, has conducted many such workshops around the city, including sessions at some BPL locations last spring.

In this Q&A with BPL Public Relations Specialist Roy L. Williams, Ishaan shares how he came up with the idea for the workshop, why he believes young people should learn how technology works and what he hopes participants take away from the experience.

BPL Media Comms: Tell us a little about yourself. What are some of your interests outside the classroom?

Ishaan: Outside the classroom, I love spending time with my little brother Krish, and our puppy, Leo. The most fun thing I am doing right now is learning to drive! Other than that, I enjoy playing the piano, singing, debate, tinkering with coding projects, and working on robotics for my school team. 

BPL Media Comms: Many students your age spend summer break relaxing or hanging out with friends. What inspired you to create and teach a Digital Literacy Summer Workshop?

Ishaan: Over the last few years, I have realized how powerful technology can be in turning ideas into something real. Through 3D design, coding, and exploring new digital tools, I have seen how technology can help solve problems, encourage creativity, and make learning more engaging.

With the rapid growth of artificial intelligence, I believe these skills will become even more important for students and young professionals in the future. AI and digital literacy are no longer just advanced topics; they are becoming basic tools that everyone should understand.

Through Uplyftz and the support of my team, I hope to introduce younger students to these ideas in a fun and approachable way. By organizing workshops and camps, my goal is to spark their curiosity, help them build confidence, and show them that technology is not just something they use, but something they can create with.

BPL Media Comms: How did the idea for the workshop first come to you?

ishaan: When I first started learning to program, I mostly watched tutorial videos by myself. I loved the excitement of building something, but it often felt like a solo activity. Over time, I realized there were other students my age who were also interested in coding, AI, and digital design, and that learning these skills would be much more fun and meaningful if we could do it together.

That idea eventually grew into this workshop. I worked with my team of younger students from high school, to plan the sessions, organize the activities, and think about how to make the material approachable for younger kids. As a team, we wanted the workshop to feel hands-on and welcoming, not intimidating. In the process, I was also able to kindle interest among the students from my team to be able to “take it forward”.

I also realized that these skills are no longer important only for people who want to go into “tech.” Coding, AI, and digital literacy are becoming useful in almost every field. That made me feel even more strongly that kids in our community should have a chance to explore them early.

For me, one of the best parts has been working with my team to create an environment where younger students can ask questions, build things, and see technology as something they can use creatively. I hope the workshop helps them feel more confident and excited about learning.

BPL Media Comms: What made you want to partner with Birmingham Public Library to offer the workshops?

Ishaan: Partnering with Birmingham Public Library felt like a really meaningful opportunity, and I am very grateful for it. The library is such a welcoming place for the community, and it allowed our team to reach students from different ages, neighborhoods, school systems, and levels of experience with technology.

That diversity made the workshop even more exciting. In our first camp at Central Library, we had students come from places as far as Odenville and Alabaster, and even a couple from out of state. Seeing kids from so many different backgrounds come together to learn, ask questions, and build was one of the best parts of the experience.

For me, BPL was the perfect partner because the library already represents access, learning, and community. Our team wanted the workshops to feel open and approachable, and BPL helped make that possible.

BPL Media Comms: At a young age, you've already developed an interest in technology, coding and artificial intelligence. How did that interest begin?

Ishaan: That interest began with a small coding elective at my elementary school, which met once a week. Slowly, we got to build more complex code, culminating in a small game project. This interest grew into a desire to build things digitally, and the desire continues to encourage me to do exciting things. This workshop has been one of the most fun parts of this journey: the ability to get others interested and engaged is deeply satisfying!

BPL Media Comms: Do you remember the first piece of technology, game, coding project or invention that made you think, "I want to learn how this works?"

Ishaan: The first time I began to wonder how something worked was when we began typing practice in fourth grade. After I got my laptop and did the first typing exercise, I started to wonder how pressing the key linked to the letter appearing on the screen. As soon as the teacher wasn’t looking, I researched exactly how a scissor switch keyboard worked and only went from there.

BPL Media Comms: You could have focused on just one topic, but your workshop covers 3D design, coding, digital systems, and artificial intelligence. How did you choose those particular subjects?

Ishaan: The curriculum is meant to progress into more complex and abstract topics, starting from the place of most interest to the students. 3D design provides a way to link the digital world to a tangible output (3D prints), followed by coding, which lets them build their own digital program. Once they’ve entered the digital world, they can begin to work on more advanced, digital topics such as data systems and AI which will be a great way to finish the workshop.

I also want to be thoughtful about the role of AI in the workshop. My goal is not for students to simply rely on AI, but to learn how to think critically, ask better questions, and use AI responsibly as one tool in the creative process.

BPL Media Comms: Artificial intelligence is a hot topic right now. What do you think young people need to understand about AI?

Ishaan: I think that if students can understand the basics of how AI works currently, they are able to use it to its full potential, even if they’re not interested in an AI-centric field. These core concepts include how AI “learns”, “thinks”, and “gets trained”. Understanding this can help students understand when and why AI does things correctly or incorrectly, and how to fix it if the response is subpar.

BPL Media Comms: Many young people spend hours using technology every day. Why is it important for them to understand how technology actually works behind the scenes?

Ishaan: When you don’t understand how technology works, it’s just a system that you accept. When you do, it’s one that you can change for the better. Learning what happens behind the scenes in technology can teach you problem solving, logic, and how to think critically about the tools you use every day. It gives you the power to shape the future.

BPL Media Comms: What do you hope students take away from the workshop when it ends?

Ishaan: I hope students take away the core concepts of 3D design, coding, and data systems, and are equipped with the tools they need to keep exploring these fields on their own. We’re planning to run the workshop across three more libraries in the Birmingham area (East Ensley, Powderly, and Smithfield), so we can reach even more kids across Birmingham.

BPL Media Comms: What advice would you give other students who have an idea for a project but aren't sure how to get started?

Ishaan: Be intentional. Work hard. Take the first step. And be ready to fail!

If you’re looking to start on an app or a business, build the product. If you’re looking to educate people, build content. Once you’re satisfied with what you’ve built, begin pitching it to anyone who will listen, and if it’s something you’re truly passionate about, it will grow. And again, be ready to fail! It took me almost 18 months to bring this to fruition, and there were definitely a lot of “no, thank you, we are not interested” e-mails!

BPL Media Comms: What are your own professional goals for the future?

Ishaan: My dream is to be deploy AI to build tools that tackle real-world challenges people face, and the problems that pull at me the most currently are in healthcare. I’m working on a few projects focused on using AI to improve patient care and mental health, and I hope these can grow into products that are truly useful to patients.

BPL Media Comms: If you could create any technology to solve a problem in the world, what would it be and why?

Ishaan: The thing I keep coming back to, which I’m working on right now, is leveraging AI to improve the mental health care gap in patients. Right now, so many patients are unable to receive proper mental health care, both due to time and the stigma associated with such care. If we could use AI to bridge this gap, it would make patient lives better and make it easier for providers to deliver targeted care.

Written by Roy L. Williams, Public Relations Specialist -Birmingham Public Library