“If you have one year, grow rice. If you have 10 years, plant trees. If you have 100 years, educate the child.” In our latest episode of The AI Math Guy Podcast, we sat down with Dr. Jeff Kim. His resume is impressive—he is a university professor, an Irvine Unified School District board member, and the creator of the first Korean-American Ethnic Studies course in the United States. But beyond the accolades, Dr. Kim offers a profound vision for what public education can look like when we focus on belonging, civic engagement, and the smart integration of AI. Here are the key takeaways from our conversation. 1. The “Redwood” Theory of Belonging Dr. Kim helped launch the Korean-American Ethnic Studies course in the wake of a tragic statistic: in 2020, OC Human Relations reported a 1,800% increase in hate incidents toward Asian-Americans in Orange County. The course was created to combat hate with understanding, but it isn’t just for Korean-Americans—it is for everyone. Dr. Kim uses a powerful analogy involving Redwood trees to explain why knowing your own story matters for the whole community. Redwoods are some of the tallest trees on Earth, yet their roots only go about 6 to 9 feet deep. How do they support such massive weight without falling over? They don’t grow in silos. Their roots extend outward, interlocking with the roots of other trees to hold each other up. Dr. Kim argues that when students know their own roots, they can better connect with the roots of others. He points to intersectional history, such as the case of Sylvia Mendez. Her family’s fight against segregation in Orange County (Mendez v. Westminster) set the precedent for Brown v. Board of Education, benefiting not just Latino students, but all Americans. The framework for the course is simple but transformative: * Know: Understand your own story. * Tell: Speak your story to create agency. * Listen: Hear the stories of others with empathy. * Do: Take civic action to build a more perfect union. 2. Innovation in Irvine: Speed Dating with Scientists Dr. Kim currently serves on the board of the Irvine Unified School District, which has ranked as the highest-performing district in California for Math, English, and Science for nine years running. But they aren’t resting on their test scores. Dr. Kim shared a fascinating example of how they are bridging the gap between the classroom and the real world. Instead of a traditional science fair, elementary students are bringing their proposals to a room filled with 70 scientists from the community. It functions almost like “speed dating,” where students pitch their ideas one-on-one to professionals to get immediate, real-world feedback. Successful projects don’t just get a ribbon; they go to an incubator lab at UCI (University of California, Irvine) where high schoolers can work on patenting ideas and launching actual businesses. 3. AI: From “Sage on the Stage” to “Guide on the Side” Finally, we discussed the role of AI in this new educational landscape. Dr. Kim believes AI should be a “thought partner.” For teachers, tools like Google Gemini can expedite lesson planning and rubric creation, freeing them up to focus on students. For students, AI acts as a brainstorming partner for civic engagement projects, offering immediate feedback that a teacher with 200 students simply doesn’t have the time to provide individually. Dr. Kim notes that in an era where information is everywhere (and often explained better on YouTube), the teacher’s role must shift. We no longer need to be the “Sage on the Stage” delivering facts. We need to be the “Guide on the Side,” helping students navigate information, refine their thinking, and build compassion. Listen to the full episode to hear more about how Dr. Kim is reimagining the American Dream through our schools. Have a great week, The AI Math Guy This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit theaimathguy.substack.com
