{"id":33220,"date":"2025-06-20T07:47:28","date_gmt":"2025-06-20T12:47:28","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.tsl.texas.gov\/ld\/librarydevelopments\/?p=33220"},"modified":"2025-06-20T14:31:28","modified_gmt":"2025-06-20T19:31:28","slug":"frisco-public-library-language-learning","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.tsl.texas.gov\/ld\/librarydevelopments\/2025\/06\/20\/frisco-public-library-language-learning\/","title":{"rendered":"AI for All: Frisco Public Library Builds Community Through Technology and Language Learning"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

When most people think about artificial intelligence, they picture high-tech startups or Silicon Valley labs\u2014not a library filled with patrons eating tamales, listening to musical performers and hearing the buzz of Spanish and English voices. But at the Frisco Public Library, that\u2019s exactly what is happening, and it\u2019s helping ESL learners get acquainted with emerging technologies\u2014specifically AI!<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Thanks to a powerful partnership between Frisco Public Library Adult Services Manager Thomas Finley, AI Connex founder and CEO Dan Sinawat, technology expert Eric Rubalcaba, and community leader Alma Hern\u00e1ndez Juarez\u2014founder of the grassroots group Hispanohablantes<\/em>\u2014AI education is now accessible to the families who need it most.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Community First, Technology Second<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n

This story starts with Alma Hern\u00e1ndez Juarez, a Frisco-based ESL teacher with deep roots in the area. Originally from San Luis Potos\u00ed, Mexico, Alma came to the U.S. as a child and understands firsthand the challenges of learning English in a new country. In 2020, when COVID-19 isolated families and upended education, she responded by starting Hispanohablantes<\/em>, a Facebook group<\/a> for Spanish-speaking families. What began with a handful of relatives has grown into a thriving community of over 5,000 members across North Texas.<\/p>\n\n\n

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\"A<\/a><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n\n\n

\u201cI\u2019ve always been passionate about parent engagement,\u201d Alma said. \u201cIt took me 11 years to get my degree, and I see myself in my students. I wanted to give families something I never had\u2014access to resources, education, and now, technology.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The opportunity to give back came when she connected with Dan Sinawat of AI Connex<\/a>, a Frisco-based global AI consulting firm, at Frisco’s Lunar New Year celebration. Dan\u2019s mantra\u2014AI for All<\/em>\u2014immediately resonated with Alma, who had long been looking for ways to introduce innovation to the Hispanic community.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Together, they imagined a new kind of program: one that demystified artificial intelligence, delivered it in Spanish, and wrapped it in a family-friendly learning environment filled with music, food, and fun. Frisco Public Library<\/a> was the obvious choice for Alma.<\/p>\n\n\n

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\"Patrons<\/a><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n\n\n

A Library That Listens\u2014and Leads<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n

When Alma brought the idea to Frisco Public Library, Adult Services Manager Thomas Finley didn\u2019t hesitate. He booked the room, helped promote the event, and was there to support the entire workshop. \u201cFrisco Library has a pulse on our community,\u201d Alma said. \u201cThey didn\u2019t just offer space\u2014they gave us a platform.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The result was a vibrant, multi-generational event focused on the theme \u201cWhat Is AI?\u201d More than 35 attendees explored tools like ChatGPT and Canva, filled out bilingual worksheets designed by Alma, and enjoyed food from a local restaurant\u2014donated by a recruiting firm with ties to the community which included The Knowledge Jar founded by Victor Cuevas II and Talent Executives by Amy Sulgrove. A live saxophonist, Alan Barraza, donated his talent and added music to make the event feel like a celebration.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Eric Rubalcaba, an IT professional and volunteer trainer, led the class in Spanish. \u201cA lot of communities don\u2019t get the chance to see this kind of technology up close,\u201d he said. \u201cThis was a way to give them that exposure\u2014hands-on, in a safe, welcoming space.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n

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\"Members<\/a><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n\n\n

Learning in Every Language<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n

The team didn\u2019t stop there. A second event focused on practical design tools like Canva, aimed at helping community members create flyers, business cards, and digital materials for home-based businesses. For many, it was the first time they’d used design software\u2014or even considered themselves part of the digital economy.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Future workshops will dive deeper into applications like ChatGPT, offering guided practice for families and strategies for responsible, critical use\u2014especially with children. \u201cAI is here to stay,\u201d said Alma. \u201cWe need to teach parents how to guide their kids, how to use it for learning, not just answers.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Meanwhile, Alma and her team are also offering free ESL classes over Zoom, and they\u2019re planning future workshops on digital literacy and citizenship. \u201cThe library is where these conversations can happen,\u201d she said. \u201cIt\u2019s not just a place to check out books\u2014it\u2019s where communities learn, grow, and build futures.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The Power of Partnership<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n

None of this would have happened without collaboration. Alma brought deep community ties and a teacher\u2019s insight. Eric brought tech expertise and a drive to serve. Dan brought vision, structure, and access to tools. And the Frisco Public Library made room for all of it and created a welcoming environment where everyone was welcome.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cThis is how real change happens,\u201d Dan said. \u201cWhen passionate people come together to make something bigger than any one of us could do alone.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

His new nonprofit, AI Connex Outreach, is continuing the mission, supporting programs like this and expanding to more communities across Texas. \u201cAI is 95% about understanding people and business processes and 5% technical,\u201d Dan said. \u201cWe believe libraries\u2014especially ones like Frisco\u2014are key to that education.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

What\u2019s Next?<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n

Frisco\u2019s ESL-AI initiative is now part of a broader study by the Urban Libraries Council, which is researching how public libraries can serve as centers for AI literacy and workforce development. For Alma, Eric, and Dan, it\u2019s validation that they\u2019re on the right path\u2014but also motivation to go further.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Their shared goal? To create a future where underserved families aren\u2019t left behind in the tech revolution\u2014but are leading it. As Alma put it: \u201cI\u2019m a creative person, I have lots of ideas, but I didn\u2019t grow up with a lot of technology. AI has leveled the playing field. AI has completed me.\u201d<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

When most people think about artificial intelligence, they picture high-tech startups or Silicon Valley labs\u2014not a library filled with patrons eating tamales, listening to musical performers and hearing the buzz of Spanish and English voices. But at the Frisco Public Library, that\u2019s exactly what is happening, and it\u2019s helping ESL learners get acquainted with emerging…<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":66,"featured_media":32737,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[488,1010,59,15],"tags":[994,1129,955,1034,1125,1126,1100,1130,1127,954,926,1128],"class_list":["post-33220","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-community-engagement","category-digital-literacy","category-public-libraries","category-technology","tag-ai","tag-alma-juarez","tag-artificial-intelligence","tag-community-partnerships","tag-esl","tag-frisco","tag-frisco-public-library","tag-hispanohablantes","tag-spanish-speaker","tag-texas","tag-texas-libraries","tag-thomas-finley"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.tsl.texas.gov\/ld\/librarydevelopments\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/33220","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.tsl.texas.gov\/ld\/librarydevelopments\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.tsl.texas.gov\/ld\/librarydevelopments\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.tsl.texas.gov\/ld\/librarydevelopments\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/66"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.tsl.texas.gov\/ld\/librarydevelopments\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=33220"}],"version-history":[{"count":8,"href":"https:\/\/www.tsl.texas.gov\/ld\/librarydevelopments\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/33220\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":33250,"href":"https:\/\/www.tsl.texas.gov\/ld\/librarydevelopments\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/33220\/revisions\/33250"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.tsl.texas.gov\/ld\/librarydevelopments\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/32737"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.tsl.texas.gov\/ld\/librarydevelopments\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=33220"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.tsl.texas.gov\/ld\/librarydevelopments\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=33220"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.tsl.texas.gov\/ld\/librarydevelopments\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=33220"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}