Expanding free AI training for educators. Sep 21, 2026 At the United Nations General Assembly in New York City, Google.org is committing $4 million to Digital Promise to help equip teachers and faculty with free, practical AI skills through the Google AI Educator Series. Maggie Johnson Global Head and VP, Google.org This week, at the United Nations General Assembly in New York City, Blog is meeting with leaders to discuss the future of learning and education, including important topics like how AI can enhance classroom teaching while keeping educators at the center of learning. At the Fostering the Future Together Partnership event, hosted by First Lady Melania Trump, Blog announced that Google.org is supporting Digital Promise, a nonprofit working to expand opportunity for each learner. This funding will help bring practical AI skills to more teachers, schools, and higher education institutions. Expanding access to practical AI skills for teachers. Earlier this year, Blog announced its plans to provide free, comprehensive AI training to all 6 million K-12 teachers and higher education faculty in the U.S. Designed and built in partnership with ISTE using a "teachers teaching teachers" approach, the training focuses on foundational, transferable AI skills, instructional judgment, and practical applications that apply across various AI tools for lesson planning and productivity. Through self-paced e-learning modules, educators can earn recognized digital badges that showcase their commitment to continuous learning. With today's support, Digital Promise will develop scalable models and frameworks to help more teachers access high-quality, hands-on AI professional development. * Helping teachers learn AI skills at scale: Digital Promise will work with state education agencies and school districts to offer tailored training and support teacher networks that build long-term AI skills. * Supporting community college faculty: Community colleges are vital for job preparation. Digital Promise will partner with community college systems to help instructors learn ways to incorporate AI into their daily work and teaching. * Sharing open research and practical guides: Over the next two years, Digital Promise will study what helps college faculty use AI effectively. They will publish a free, public guide to help higher education institutions anywhere adopt AI thoughtfully. Educators, school leaders, and faculty can explore the free Google AI Educator Series and start earning digital badges today on the Google for Education Learning Center. Posted in:

Digital Promise and QuantHub partner to bring digital fluency to career pathways. Sep 02, 2026, 16:00 ET Partnership equips K-12 career pathway programs with AI, data, and cybersecurity skills to prepare learners for every career, not just tech. WASHINGTON, Sept. 2, 2026 /PRNewswire/ - Digital Promise and QuantHub today launched a multi-year partnership to embed digital fluency into K-12 career pathway programs nationwide. The initiative addresses a rapid shift in the modern workforce. As The Burning Glass Institute has found, roughly 30% of core workplace skills have changed over the last 10 years, with digital advancements reshaping jobs two-thirds faster than historical norms, a shift already affecting 35 million American workers. Notably, more than 60% of job titles mentioning AI are in non-tech roles, yet most K-12 pathway skills and competencies are focused on tech-focused careers or basic technology literacy. "When we look at how rapidly the nature of work is changing, we have to ask ourselves if our learning environments are truly keeping pace," said Jean-Claude Brizard, president and CEO of Digital Promise. "This partnership is about creating systemic access. By making digital fluency a foundational element of every learning pathway, we are ensuring students can translate their skills across industries whether they are entering healthcare, trade professions, the technology sector, or starting their own business." Digital fluency is the ability of learners to understand why, when, and how to apply technology to create new ideas and solve complex problems. Through their partnership, Digital Promise and QuantHub are addressing the gap by integrating digital fluency across workforce domains to equip students pursuing careers from healthcare to skilled trades with the data science, AI, and cybersecurity skills now required in every career across a rapidly evolving workforce. Together, Digital Promise and QuantHub are building practical data science and AI skills and competencies into pathways programs to support schools, postsecondary institutions, industry, and community organizations to help learners earn market-value credentials that connect directly to local employment opportunities. The partnership will also generate research and proof points on learner outcomes, with plans to scale data, AI and cybersecurity skills into pathway models across the country. "Data and AI aren't specialized skills anymore, they're the baseline for doing almost any job well," said Joshua Jones, CEO of QuantHub. "The hard part is delivering that at scale. That means giving teachers the training to embed these skills into the courses they already teach, and tying what students learn to credentials employers actually recognize. That's exactly what the partnership with Digital Promise is built to do." The partnership builds on Digital Promise's Cybersecurity Pathways Initiative, which supports school districts in co-designing credentialed, career-connected programs with higher education, industry, and community partners. In Alabama alone, those programs are now accessible to more than 35,000 students, with graduates pursuing careers in cybersecurity, defense and military, healthcare, hospitality, and skilled trades - proof that digital fluency skills extend well beyond jobs in tech. "The labor market is evolving swiftly. Every learner needs pathways augmented with future-forward skills, including AI, data science, and cybersecurity. Digital fluency ensures learners earn current, relevant credentials that are the bridge to quality jobs," said Kimberly Smith, chief innovation officer of the Center for Learner Pathway Innovations (CLPI), which will be leading this work at Digital Promise. QuantHub brings a proven data and AI skills platform in use by leading industry organizations, postsecondary institutions, and K-12 districts nationwide. Fortune 500 employers use it to build AI fluency across their workforces, faculty at more than 100 colleges and universities teach with it, and school districts embed its stackable credentials into career pathways. That work runs deepest in Alabama, where the platform powers statewide data and AI initiatives, the Data Ambassadors program trains teacher leaders to bring these skills into the courses they already teach, and Data Scholars internships connect students to paid, skills-based industry projects. About Digital Promise Digital Promise is a global nonprofit working to expand opportunity for every learner. We work with educators, researchers, technology leaders, and communities to design, investigate, and scale innovations that support learners, especially those who've been historically and systematically excluded. Our vision is that every person engages in powerful learning experiences that lead to a life of well-being, fulfillment, and economic mobility. For more information, visit digitalpromise.org and follow @digitalpromise for updates. About QuantHub QuantHub is a data and AI skills company focused on building digital agility in every learner. Its platform is in use across K-12, higher education, and industry, supporting partnerships with school districts, postsecondary institutions, and leading industry organizations nationwide. Programs include Data Ambassadors, a teacher leadership program, and Data Scholars, a student internship initiative. For more information, visit quanthub.com and follow QuantHub on LinkedIn. SOURCE Digital Promise

New Story launches Educational Advisory Board to advance student outcomes and innovation in Special Education. Posted: July 23, 2026 Board's inaugural meeting brings together nationally recognized leaders in special education policy, research, educational innovation, and institutional leadership As school districts nationwide face rising demand for special education and behavioral health support services, New Story today announced the establishment of its Educational Advisory Board. The new initiative brings together nationally recognized experts in special education policy, research, innovation, and educational leadership to provide strategic guidance on improving outcomes for students with complex academic, behavioral, and mental health needs through evidence-based services and supports. The board's first meeting, taking place this month, marks a significant milestone in New Story's continued evolution as a national leader in special education and therapeutic services. The Advisory Board will provide strategic guidance on evidence-based programming, student outcomes measurement, innovation, district partnership models, and scalable supports for students with disabilities and behavioral health challenges. Serving over 5,000 students across seven states in the mid-Atlantic region, New Story is one of the nation's leading providers of integrated academic and behavioral services for children and young adults with complex educational and behavioral needs. The organization operates more than 75 schools and partners with districts across multiple states to deliver specialized educational, therapeutic, and in-district support services. "School systems are navigating added complexity in serving students, rapidly expanding special education and behavioral health needs, and heightened expectations for measurable outcomes," said Jonathan Bicknell, Chief Executive Officer of New Story. "We believe New Story has an opportunity and a responsibility to help advance models that are evidence-based, scalable, and deeply student-centered. This Advisory Board brings together some of the most respected voices in the country to help guide that work." The inaugural Educational Advisory Board includes: * Karen Cator, former CEO of Digital Promise and former Director of the Office of Educational Technology at the U.S. Department of Education, widely recognized for advancing educational innovation, technology-enabled learning, and research-to-practice models * James Clements, former President of Clemson University and former President of West Virginia University, known for his leadership in institutional strategy, governance, and educational advancement * Todd Grindal, President of SRI International and former Lecturer at the Harvard Graduate School of Education, whose work focuses on special education research, evidence-based practice, and improving outcomes for students with disabilities * Jill Lammert, Associate Vice President and Center Leader at Westat, with more than two decades of experience leading national evaluation, technical assistance, and outcomes measurement initiatives supporting students with disabilities * Valerie C. Williams, former Director of the Office of Special Education Programs (OSEP) at the U.S. Department of Education, where she led the implementation and oversight of IDEA and advanced inclusive education policy nationwide. She is now Co-Founder and Principal Consultant of Apokrisis Consultants, Inc., a strategic consulting firm that partners with state and local education agencies, as well as advocacy and nonprofit organizations, to strengthen special education systems through strategy, policy analysis, and implementation alignment The Board will be co-chaired by: * Beth Ackerman, Senior Vice President of Operations for New Story, with a career spanning special education teaching, school leadership, and higher education, including her 17 years serving Rivermont Schools, building and leading the special education and the online education programs at the university level, and serving on the Board of Education for Virginia * Jeanna Pignatiello, Chief Education and Outcomes Officer at New Story, with senior leadership experience across large-scale virtual and in-person education organizations, including Chief Academic Officer at Stride overseeing academic strategy for more than 75 virtual schools across 32 states, and Regional Vice President at Catapult Learning spanning 16 states Collectively, the board reflects expertise spanning federal education policy, special education systems, educational research, institutional leadership, technology innovation, and outcomes evaluation. The Advisory Board will provide independent strategic counsel to New Story on areas including academic and therapeutic quality, data and outcomes systems, emerging service models, workforce and district challenges, and innovations in student support. "Families and school districts are seeking integrated solutions that combine specialized instruction, therapeutic support, and measurable outcomes," said Jeanna Pignatiello, Chief Education & Outcomes Officer at New Story. "This board strengthens our ability to learn from nationally recognized leaders across research, policy, and practice as we continue building programs that help students thrive academically, socially, emotionally, and behaviorally." The Advisory Board will convene quarterly, beginning with its inaugural meeting this summer, and will also participate in annual strategic planning discussions and ongoing advisory engagements with company leadership.