Prolific Billboard-charting musician Pitbull has partnered with Digital DNA Labs to create a first-of-its-kind curriculum to deliver civics lessons in the classroom, taught by AI versions of historical figures like George Washington.

"This is like having a FaceTime call with one of the Founding Fathers," Jason Inasi, CEO of Digital DNA Labs, told Just The News.

"And we're very blessed to have Armando Perez, Mr. Worldwide (a/k/a "Pitbull") as part of this initiative. Beyond being one of the biggest pop stars in the world, he is also very much dedicated to education and the story of America, the ability to come here, and build yourself up from the ground up." 

The lost lesson of U.S. civics

A 2024 survey found that a jarring 70% of Americans failed a basic civic literacy quiz, with only half correctly identifying the branch of government where bills become laws. Additionally, the 2022 NAEP civics assessment showed that only 22% of eighth-grade students scored at or above the proficient level in civics.

The curriculum is currently being tested in charter schools in Florida and, according to Inasi, the feedback has been extremely positive. The feedback comes after intensive and meticulous effort by Digital DNA Labs to accurately render the Founding Fathers featured in the curriculum. 

"We looked at a lot of historical archives that are out there, and we used trusted sources with AI. We go to trusted sources, historical archives, and we built and recreated Washington's image. We also looked into how he would sound at that time, and used the voice that we designed specifically that's representative of the accent at the time and how we expect him to be able to speak today."

Inasi also discussed another obstacle often found in the classroom, and how this program helps to remedy it. After COVID-19, Inasi said many students are experiencing social anxiety associated with raising their hand in class and positing queries, often referred to as "long-anxiety." 

"Now you're able to go home, ask those questions, interact with it, and get meaningful curriculum-aligned answers that you can use to continue to engage."

The announcement and launch comes ahead of the nation's 250th birthday, and amid many efforts by President Donald Trump to enhance civics education and history, as well as initiates to ignite patriotism.

Through Task Force 250 and the Freedom 250 initiative, the Trump administration launched a year-long celebration which began Memorial Day 2025, featuring national events like the grand July 4, 2026 Salute to America on the National Mall, the Patriot Games (a high school athlete competition with mentors and prizes), and cultural showcases emphasizing American exceptionalism. 

Promoting "patriotic education"

The Department of Education’s America 250 Civics Education Coalition has partnered with over 40 organizations, developing school programming focused on founding principles, the Declaration of Independence, and “informed patriotism.” 

The Colonial Williamsburg Foundation has noted that the importance of "an informed citizenry" was central to the debates and discussions as early as the drafting of the Constitution. The American Bar Association published a paper in 2024 saying that "according to a 2022 survey conducted by the Annenberg Public Policy Center, less than half of U.S. adults (47%) could name all three branches of government, down from 56% in 2021 and the first decline on this question since 2016. This diminishing civics knowledge has also coincided with declining public engagement and trust in our political system." 

The Civics Education Coalition redirects grants toward unifying, uplifting U.S. history curricula and revives elements of the 1776 Commission, an advisory committee established by Trump in his first term to promote "patriotic education" and provide a perspective on American history that emphasizes the founding principles of the United States. 

The inspiration for the program came from an unlikely source, according to Inasi. "There's a great clip of Steve Jobs saying, 'One day, wouldn't it be great for a kid to be able to speak with Aristotle and then get an answer?' Our thesis was, can we preserve history and memory and make it engaging for anyone to interact with." 

As far as widespread integration across the country, the program is being piloted in Florida, but the lessons may soon expand. 

"Right now, we are working with our school partners, charter schools and private schools. We're also talking to a number of school boards and even a few governors in states to deploy this as a solution," Inasi said.

"If you are a parent out there, and you want to see this, please ask for it." 

Amanda Head is White House correspondent for Just The News. You can follow her here.