During the EDUCAUSE annual conference, Google.org revealed its backing for three initiatives aimed at enhancing ethical AI readiness, modernizing planning at educational institutions, and improving student success rates.
As educational leaders convene this week at one of the largest higher education technology exhibitions in the United States, the focus on AI is apparent. Although this technology presents numerous opportunities for helping students, faculty, and staff, many educational institutions, especially community colleges and public universities, are dealing with limited resources. A recent survey shows that 41% of higher education educators have not received formal training on employing AI tools in their teaching environments.
To address this gap, Google.org is supporting two initiatives that emphasize the role of educators in AI adoption:
Despite constituting a significant portion of higher education enrollments over the years, adult learners aged 25 and above are prone to dropping out, with a return rate for their second year that is 35 percentage points lower than that of traditional-age students. To tackle challenges faced by these adult learners, the Coalition of Urban Serving Universities (USU), alongside the Association of Public and Land-grant Universities (APLU), is enhancing its Urban Adult Learner Institute (UALI).
With support from Google.org, USU is integrating Grow with Google resources and AI-enhanced lessons into its professional development certification. This initiative aims to provide educators, including faculty and advisors, with practical tasks that will enable them to offer improved career guidance to students and assist in their success. Educators from 30 universities will trial these new methods, allowing other institutions to replicate successful strategies for adult learners.
Traditional internships are a well-established route for gaining career readiness, but the surge in demand from students and employers has necessitated new scalable methods. In response, USU is spearheading a project to expand career-focused community-based learning (CBL) enhanced by AI. Over the coming 15 months, USU will gather and qualitatively assess 10 models at member institutions, produce case studies, and form a working group to outline a research and practice agenda. The initiative will develop flexible pathways for work-based learning across various academic fields, broadening workforce readiness for a diverse student body.
Strategic planning at community colleges often appears as a compliance procedure rather than a driver for innovation. Through its Reimagining Community Colleges (RCC) initiative, Education Design Lab (The Lab) is aiding two-year institutions in reshaping this perspective and preparing students for future employment with Google.org’s support. Following a successful summit of educators and the launch of redesign plans by a cohort of five colleges, a new national competition will commence in early 2027. This competition aims for a state-level community college system to undergo a two-year initiative utilizing technology-enabled solutions to better serve their students. This phase will apply The Lab’s Future of Learning framework to develop scalable solutions that foster continuous innovation across campuses.
For more information on free training resources and education initiatives, visit the Google for Education Learning Center or connect with our teams at EDUCAUSE this week.