Missouri education departments partner with Google to provide free AI training

(From the Missouri Department of Elementary and Secondary Education and Department of Higher Education and Workforce Development)

The Missouri Department of Higher Education and Workforce Development (MDHEWD) and the Missouri Department of Elementary and Secondary Education (DESE) are pleased to announce a new partnership with Google to help empower educators, students, and job seekers across the state with critical job ready and AI skills, all at no cost. 

  

Missouri is home to nearly 100,000 active educators and 1.1 million students across all levels of education. These tools will further streamline educator workloads and create customized classroom materials that allow for a concentrated focus on supporting students, while giving learners access to innovative, active, and constructive learning experiences.

“This partnership reflects Missouri’s commitment to using AI in ways that directly benefit the people we serve,” said Governor Mike Kehoe. “As AI rapidly reshapes our economy, we’re preparing Missouri’s workforce with the skills needed to stay competitive. By prioritizing safe, ethical, and transparent use of technology, we’re making state services more accessible and ensuring Missourians are ready for the high-growth, high-wage jobs of an AI-driven future.”

Missouri is partnering with Google through its Grow with Google initiative, providing residents with free access to Google Career Certificates and Google AI courses. Training courses are flexible and offered online, designed to help Missourians strengthen their skills and gain job-ready AI skills that help them better prepare for high-earning careers. Individuals can secure their free license by registering online.

“These courses strengthen our commitment to helping job seekers gain the practical skills and confidence needed to step into high-quality careers,” said Dr. Bennett Boggs, Commissioner of the Missouri Department of Higher Education and Workforce Development. “By expanding access to cutting edge AI training and education to job seekers, students, and instructors, we’re preparing Missourians for the workforce of the future and ensuring individuals at every stage of their career journey remain competitive.”

In addition, MDHEWD and DESE will provide educators, students, and staff with access to Google for Education AI tools, including Gemini for Education and Gemini Notebook and the Google AI Educator Series which provides standards-aligned training at no-cost to help educators understand and use these tools effectively.

"We’re proud to partner with Missouri to give educators, students, and professionals across the state no-cost access to secure, cutting-edge AI tools, training, and certifications,” said Chris Phillips, Vice President and General Manager, Education, Google. “By delivering these resources directly through K-12 schools, colleges, universities, and local Missouri Job Centers, we are helping residents statewide build practical AI fluency so they can thrive at school and in their careers today and prepare for the opportunities of tomorrow."

“School districts and charter schools continue to have full discretion over the adoption of these tools, and for those that implement them, this work strengthens personalized learning and helps students interact with AI safely, ethically, and responsibly,” said Dr. Stacey Preis, Interim Commissioner of Education. “DESE is committed to ensuring the best conditions for student success and upholding a vision in which every Missouri student graduates with a great education.”

DESE has four key areas of support that will guide the state’s rollout of these tools: Support for Educators: 

Tools will help educators generate lesson plans, develop grading rubrics, and summarize classroom discussions, reducing administrative tasks and strengthening instruction.

Customized Learning: Tools will provide practice exercises and materials tailored to each student’s learning pace and needs, enhancing teacher instruction. 

Research and Brainstorming: Students can use technology as a supplemental resource while learning to verify the accuracy and reliability of AI provided information. 

Digital Citizenship: A dedicated AI literacy curriculum will ensure students understand how to use these tools effectively and ethically.

Rigorous standards for data security and privacy are built into the foundation of Google’s education tools. Clear guidelines and expectations are available for educators to help students use resources appropriately. By pairing the technology with digital citizenship instruction, educators can reinforce ethical use and help students develop the skills needed to engage with AI responsibly.