A free public forum on artificial intelligence in schools is set for May 27, at 7 p.m. at First Baptist Church of Haddonfield, 124 Kings Highway East. Organized by Haddonfield American Legion Post 38, the event will bring together local educators, students and business leaders to discuss how rapidly evolving AI tools are reshaping education, family life and the broader community.
Local voices on opportunities and risks
Moderator Linda Hochgertel, chief technology officer at The Wyanoke Group and vice president of the Haddonfield Board of Education, will guide the conversation, with keynote remarks from Ojobo Agbo Eje, senior program coordinator at Rutgers-Camden AI Campus. Panelists include Haddonfield School District assistant superintendent Gino Priolo, Haddonfield Memorial High School students Luke Patterson and Talia Seshasai, and Post 38 commander and event host Rodney Thomas, a former Apple call center manager. Organizers say the panel will examine both the educational potential of AI and concerns about issues such as student learning, family dynamics and community norms.
Part of ongoing civic dialogue series
The gathering is the fifth in Post 38’s Community Conversations series, which is designed to foster public dialogue on issues of broad local interest while highlighting American Legion programs and services. Earlier installments have focused on post-traumatic stress disorder, profiles of three 100-year-old veterans presented by Haddonfield Memorial High School students, advances in breast cancer care and the mechanics of human trafficking in suburban communities, including a March session at the same church that examined how traffickers operate in neighborhoods, online spaces and workplaces. First Baptist Church will again host the discussion, with ample parking available behind the building via Chestnut Street.
How to attend
Admission is free and no registration is required. The presenting sponsor is the Haddonfield Educational Trust, a nonprofit foundation that supports programs and initiatives in the Haddonfield Public Schools; more information about its work is available at haddonfieldeducationaltrust.org