Ashley Lopez, 6, plays with her new toys as the Amigos for Kids Toy Drive Caravan made it’s final stop at Jose Marti Park in Little Havana on Sunday, December 16, 2018. Amigos for Kids was among 208 nonprofit organizations selected nationwide for an OpenAI Ready Award, the nonprofit announced Tuesday, Feb. 17, 2026.
PATRICK FARRELL
Miami Herald file
Miami-based Amigos for Kids was selected as a recipient of the OpenAI Ready Award through the People-First AI Fund, which is a “national $50 million initiative supporting nonprofits building people-centered, community-based solutions.”
Since 1991, Amigos for Kids has tackled child abuse and held events, including an annual Celebrity Domino Night and toy drives.
The charity is among 208 nonprofit organizations nationwide selected for funding to support AI tools designed to help educational, social-emotional and service programs, Amigos for Kids said in a Tuesday statement.
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“For more than 35 years, Amigos for Kids has stood with families,” Jorge Plasencia, founder and chair emeritus of Amigos for Kids, said in the statement. “This award honors that legacy and our continued commitment to people-centered solutions.”
With the help of OpenAI, the charity will be able to expand high-quality after-school and summer-enrichment programs. Specifically, AI tools will help Amigos for Kids create bilingual communications, organize program materials and outline lesson ideas.
The charity told the Miami Herald staff will always have a hand in reviewing and shaping the final product that AI was used to create so it “reflects our voice and community.”
The charity also teaches age-appropriate AI literacy in its K-5 curriculum during after-school programs. This includes showing students how to protect their privacy and double-check information seen online.
“The goal is to build digital confidence in a safe, guided environment while keeping trusted adult relationships at the center,” Amigos for Kids CEO and President Karina Pavone told the Herald. “For us, AI is a tool to support learning and strengthen our work — not replace the human connection that defines it.”
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Miami Herald
Miami Herald Cops and Breaking News Reporter Devoun Cetoute covers a plethora of Florida topics, from breaking news to crime patterns. He was on the breaking news team that won a Pulitzer Prize in 2022. He’s a graduate of the University of Florida, born and raised in Miami-Dade. Theme parks, movies and cars are on his mind in and out of the office.