Leveraging artificial intelligence skills in community college classrooms and technical careers

Moraine Valley Community College received a $984,779 Project Grant awarded October 1, 2025, under the STEM Education program (CFDA 47.076) administered by the National Science Foundation's Division of Undergraduate Education. The project, titled "Leveraging Artificial Intelligence Skills in Community College Classrooms and Technical Careers," delivers comprehensive curriculum development and faculty professional development services designed to integrate artificial intelligence across multiple disciplines at community colleges. Key products and services include the design of interdisciplinary learning communities (ILCs) that foster faculty and student collaboration in applying AI technologies to real-world problems; faculty training workshops and an instructor learning community spanning healthcare, manufacturing, automotive, and business disciplines; and the creation of a repository containing instructional materials, case studies, and policy recommendations. The initiative runs through September 30, 2028, and emphasizes the development of open-access resources and best practices intended for nationwide adoption to enhance AI literacy and technical workforce competitiveness.

The project employs structured assessment and evaluation strategies to measure effectiveness and support continuous improvement. By establishing a framework that positions artificial intelligence as both a problem-solving tool and foundational literacy skill, the initiative aims to ensure that community college graduates develop the technical competencies required to meet the demands of an AI-driven economy. The dissemination of outcomes, instructional resources, and evidence-based recommendations across community colleges nationwide addresses the broader national interest in advancing technician education and economic competitiveness through enhanced STEM workforce development.

Abstract

This project aims to serve the national interest by advancing education at community colleges through the integration of artificial intelligence (AI) in courses across multiple disciplines. By establishing interdisciplinary learning communities (ilcs), the project will foster collaboration among faculty and students from a wide range of disciplines, enabling them to explore and apply emerging AI technologies to real-world problems. The significance of this project lies in its potential to enhance the technical skills and AI literacy of the future workforce, ensuring that graduates are equipped to drive innovation and meet the demands of an AI-driven economy. Innovative aspects include professional development workshops and a learning community for instructors that will empower and support them in incorporating AI into community college curricula. Open-access resources and best practices that can be adopted nationwide, can amplify the project's broader impact on technician education and economic competitiveness. The project plans to develop and implement a framework for ilcs that integrates AI as both a problem-solving tool and a foundational literacy skill across community college programs. Project goals include designing interdisciplinary curricula, facilitating faculty collaboration, and producing a repository of instructional materials, case studies, and policy recommendations. The scope encompasses curriculum development, faculty training (across a broad spectrum of disciplines, including healthcare, manufacturing, automotive and business), and dissemination of outcomes to community colleges nationwide. The project will employ ongoing assessment and evaluation strategies to measure effectiveness and inform continuous improvement. This project is funded by the advanced technological education program that focuses on the education of technicians for the advanced-technology fields that drive the nation's economy. This award reflects NSF's statutory mission and has been deemed worthy of support through evaluation using the foundation's intellectual merit and broader impacts review criteria.- subawards are not planned for this award.