High school teachers across the country will build artificial intelligence (AI) skills, earn industry-aligned credentials, and get support for bringing AI lessons into their classrooms through free training programs from the National Applied AI Consortium (NAAIC).
The programs, offered this summer and fall, are part of NAAIC’s expansion into high schools, which is supported by a National Science Foundation grant. The expansion will provide more than 600 educators with professional development, curriculum resources, certification pathways, and access to a national peer network, according to NAAIC.
NAAIC said the effort is designed to help teachers introduce AI concepts earlier in students’ education and strengthen pathways from high school to community college programs and future AI-related careers. The organization has previously focused on helping community colleges build AI workforce pathways through education, workforce training, and industry-aligned credentials.
“Preparing America’s future workforce for the age of AI is urgent, and it starts with teachers,” said Amy Rubinson, NAAIC’s K-12 AI director. “By expanding training and resources for high school educators, NAAIC helps teachers build the confidence to bring AI into the classroom.”
The offerings for high school teachers include live virtual workshops, self-paced coursework, classroom-ready curriculum, and credential programs. Training is offered through aiEDU, AI4K12.org, Day of AI, CompTIA, Knowledge Pillars, and Intel.
CompTIA’s AI Fundamentals for High School Teachers program runs from July 7 to Sept. 7 and gives educators access to 50 hours of AI Fundamentals digital courseware and a CompCert credential. Knowledge Pillars’ AI Certifications Teacher Academy runs from July 21 to Aug. 23 and offers access to three AI certifications.
Day of AI is offering curriculum deep dives on July 28, 29, and Aug. 11 and 12 in eight-hour virtual sessions focused on turnkey AI classroom materials. aiEDU’s Strategies for Teaching AI Readiness cohort begins Aug. 4, and a second cohort is scheduled for Sept. 24. AI4K12.org’s AI Under the Hood cohort begins Sept. 15 and runs through Dec. 15, focusing on neural networks, generative AI, and hands-on projects.
The initiative also includes a Community of Practice, which NAAIC said will help teachers collaborate, exchange resources, and share implementation strategies beyond individual workshops or certification programs.
