New National Academy for AI Instruction to Provide Free AI Training for Educators
In an effort to "transform how artificial intelligence is taught and integrated into classrooms across the United States," the American Federation of Teachers (AFT), in partnership with Microsoft, OpenAI, Anthropic, and the United Federation of Teachers, is launching the National Academy for AI Instruction, a $23 million initiative that will provide access to free AI training and curriculum for all AFT members, beginning with K-12 educators. The academy will "help address the gap in structured, accessible AI training and provide a national model for AI-integrated curriculum and teaching," according to a news announcement.
A key theme of the announcement is the need to "put teachers in the driver's seat" when it comes to integrating AI into teaching and learning.
"AI holds tremendous promise but huge challenges — and it's our job as educators to make sure AI serves our students and society, not the other way around," noted AFT President Randi Weingarten, in a statement. "The direct connection between a teacher and their kids can never be replaced by new technologies, but if we learn how to harness it, set commonsense guardrails and put teachers in the driver's seat, teaching and learning can be enhanced. The academy is a place where educators and school staff will learn about AI — not just how it works, but how to use it wisely, safely and ethically."
"To best serve students, we must ensure teachers have a strong voice in the development and use of AI," commented Brad Smith, vice chair and president of Microsoft. "This partnership will not only help teachers learn how to better use AI, it will give them the opportunity to tell tech companies how we can create AI that better serves kids."
Instruction will begin this fall at the academy's New York City facility, with plans to scale nationally over the next five years. The program will include workshops, online courses, and hands-on training sessions, as well as ongoing support and resources to keep educators updated on the latest developments in AI. In addition, interdisciplinary research teams will work to develop a national model for AI-integrated teaching environments, refined by feedback cycles from actual classroom experiences. The overall goal is to serve 400,000 educators through training, credential pathways, and continuing education credits, making up approximately 10% of the U.S. teaching workforce and reaching more than 7.2 million students.
"When it comes to AI in schools, the question is whether it is being used to disrupt education for the benefit of students and teachers or at their expense. We want this technology to be used by teachers for their benefit, by helping them to learn, to think and to create," said Chris Lehane, chief global affairs officer of OpenAI. "This AI academy will help ensure that AI is being deployed to help educators do what they do best — teach — and in so doing, help advance the small-'d' democratizing power of education."
"We're at a pivotal moment in education, and how we introduce AI to educators today will shape teaching for generations to come," said Anthropic Co-founder and Head of Policy Jack Clark. "That's why we're thrilled to partner with the AFT to empower teachers with the knowledge and tools to guide their students through this evolving landscape. Together, we're building a future where AI supports great teaching in ethical and effective ways."
The National Academy for AI Instruction site includes an e-mail signup for further updates.
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Rhea Kelly is editor in chief for Campus Technology, THE Journal, and Spaces4Learning. She can be reached at [email protected].