The Department of Education awarded Doane University more than $2 million in grant funding to support a program aimed at equipping K-12 educators with artificial intelligence (AI) skills.
Doane University’s Paraprofessional Intensive Vocational Onramp to Teaching (PIVOT) will run through December 2029 and create “new pathways for paraprofessionals and educators to advance their professional credentials while continuing to serve in their school communities,” according to the university.
According to the PIVOT project proposal, the project will create two short-term programs to support the use of AI in K-12 classrooms – one for paraprofessionals and the other for teachers.
The paraprofessional program aims to “increase the supply of highly-qualified paraprofessionals who can initially support classroom teachers and ultimately enroll in an AI-powered, job-embedded bachelor’s degree program to become certified teachers themselves.”
Doane University said the effort will create “a sustainable pipeline of well-trained talent for the nation’s school districts.”
Meanwhile, teachers who participate in PIVOT can earn a credential in AI for K-12 Teaching, Doane University said.
The PIVOT project team will track how districts use AI-driven marketing and screening tools to recruit paraprofessional training candidates for Doane, while district employers will choose incumbent teachers for the AI in Teaching program, the university said.
The team will also work closely with an employer advisor council of district leaders to design and pilot both programs.