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Microsoft recently launched a new initiative titled “Microsoft Elevate” that seeks to bring artificial intelligence to people worldwide. The initiative is a five-year, billion-dollar commitment to equip educators and students with the skills to utilize AI in their lives.
Led by Brad Smith, the Vice Chair and President of Microsoft, Elevate will provide funding, AI resources and cloud technology to education institutions across the globe. However, Microsoft believes that the heart of the problem lies in the local communities, which is why they have announced at the latest Microsoft meeting in Redmond Washington that they will be prioritizing Washington state above any other region.
“We believe the future starts here at home,” Smith said.
Microsoft Elevate aims to increase the use of AI throughout the state’s 39 counties. To do so, they will target the K-12 schools and community colleges in the state. Next year, every district and community college in Washington will be provided with Copilot Studio, Microsoft’s AI chatbot, for three years. High school students will receive up to three years of access to Microsoft 365 desktop apps, learning accelerators and Teams for Education. On top of all of this, 10 school districts and 10 community colleges will be selected to receive $25,000 for technology needs.
“This is all about creating AI so it's a tool to help people be smarter, more successful, more compassionate,” Smith said.
Smith emphasized the need to bring everyone together on this project to ensure that the people affected by the initiative have a say in how AI is used in the future. So, the meeting brought several educators and community members such as Chris Reykdal, from the Office of the Superintendent of Public Instruction (OSPI); Heather Hudson, the Deputy Policy Director for governor Bob Ferguson; Dr. Kelly Aramaki, the Superintendent of Bellevue School District and many others.
Microsoft Elevate is also collaborating with nonprofits such as Code.org and its founder, Hadi Parovi, to create programs like Hour of AI for students of all ages across the state. The goal is to utilize AI for student learning and for educators’ benefit as well.
“I think artificial intelligence is something that can close… disproportionality in learning opportunities,” Dr. Kelly Aramaki said.
OSPI and Microsoft Elevate are working together to create AI training programs for educators and administrators to help manage coursework, build digital skills with AI and improve operational efficiency overall. They believe that AI can help lighten the load on teachers so that they can focus on connecting with their students more.
These programs will begin to be implemented in the coming year, and many agencies, companies and educators will be collaborating to make it happen. As Smith concluded at the Redmond meeting, the vision of Microsoft Elevate is about community, equity, and the future of education in Washington.
“We all get to learn together. And you all can make the decisions that the leaders of this state will need to make… to ensure that Washington's State, as much or more than any state in this country, is a state that not only produces the technology of tomorrow but provides it to the people who will shape the state's future.”
