Two Nipmuc Regional High School teachers — Science Department Chair James Gorman, the 2024 Massachusetts STEM Teacher of the Year, and math instructor Cheryl Howard — are participating in the Healey-Driscoll Administration’s “Future Ready: AI in the Classroom” pilot program. (Photo Courtesy the Massachusetts Executive Office of Education)
MENDON — Superintendent Dr. Maureen Cohen and Nipmuc Regional High School Co-Principals John Clements and Mary Anne Moran are proud to announce that two teachers participated in the Healey-Driscoll Administration’s “Future Ready: AI in the Classroom” pilot program.
Nipmuc Regional High School Science Department Chair James Gorman, the 2024 Massachusetts STEM Teacher of the Year, and math instructor Cheryl Howard, were accepted into the pilot program and received two days of training.
The program launched this week, in partnership with Project Lead The Way (PLTW), through a $135,000 investment. The professional development pilot will support teachers in 45 classrooms, reaching an estimated 1,600 students or more. It has been designed to provide high school educators with the tools, knowledge and network to bring artificial intelligence (AI) into their classrooms.
The experience is jointly funded through the administration’s STEM Advisory Council and the Massachusetts AI Hub and will be administered by PLTW. This pilot marks an important step in expanding access to AI learning opportunities for students and educators across the state.
“Massachusetts has long been a global leader in both technological innovation and education,” said Gov. Maura Healey. “With this pilot, we are building on that success, providing our teachers with the skills and tools so they can support the next generation and ensure Massachusetts remains a global leader in applied AI.”
“Our administration knows AI is a transformative technology that is already reshaping how we live and learn,” said Lt. Gov. Kim Driscoll. “Through this pilot, we’re giving educators the foundation they need to navigate this new era with confidence, fueling workforce readiness and expanding opportunity for students.”
This year-long, 50-hour professional development experience kicked off June 24 at the Massachusetts Technology Collaborative Campus in Westborough. Over the next two days, participants engaged in curriculum design workshops, peer collaboration sessions, and targeted mini-trainings.
This first experience aimed to create a professional learning community that fosters innovation and shared best practices. The program introduces educators to the fundamentals of AI, explores ethical and responsible classroom applications, and facilitates ongoing collaboration with industry experts and peers throughout the academic year.
“As a former teacher, I know how important professional development is, especially in an ever-changing world,” said Education Secretary Dr. Patrick Tutwiler. “This pilot helps turn possibility into practice. By investing in our educators and grounding their work in ethical, real-world AI applications, we’re making sure our students are not just consumers of technology, but future leaders in it.”
This pilot is a cornerstone of the Massachusetts AI Hub’s mission to position the state as a global leader in applied and ethical AI.
“Future Ready: AI in the Classroom” is the first in a series of educator-focused initiatives aligned with the Hub’s Education and Workforce Development strategy, ensuring that students across Massachusetts are not only prepared for the future of innovation but are actively shaping it. The pilot program also advances the goals of the Massachusetts STEM Advisory Council by strengthening STEM education and supporting educators with a network of STEM resources.
“Artificial intelligence has the potential to expand access to information and unlock new learning opportunities for students across Massachusetts,” said Massachusetts AI Hub Executive Director Sabrina Mansur. “With this pilot program, our state will be able to empower teachers to incorporate the benefits of AI in student education. Ultimately, our goal is to create a strong pipeline of talent who understand how to use AI to build a stronger economy.”
“At Project Lead The Way, we believe in empowering students to become the innovators and problem-solvers of tomorrow,” said Dr. David Dimmett, PLTW president and CEO. “This partnership with Massachusetts represents exactly the kind of forward-thinking approach we need to prepare educators and students for an AI-driven future. By providing teachers with hands-on, project-based AI learning experiences, we’re ensuring that students don’t just understand artificial intelligence — they learn to harness it as a tool for creativity and innovation. This pilot will serve as a model for how we can scale AI literacy across the U.S.”
The launch of this pilot reflects a broader, coordinated effort across Massachusetts state government to harness AI’s potential in a way that is forward-thinking, inclusive, and impactful. It follows the work of the Massachusetts AI Strategic Task Force, established by Gov. Healey in 2024 by Executive Order 629 to chart a path for AI adoption, talent development, and economic growth. The Task Force’s recommendations directly informed the creation of the AI Hub and highlighted the need for strong partnerships between government, industry, and academia. The Healey-Driscoll administration also invested $100 million through the Mass Leads Act to support AI innovation at scale and strengthen Massachusetts’ global leadership in AI.
In K–12 education specifically, the Department of Elementary and Secondary Education (DESE) is also leading efforts to support educators as access to AI increases. Through a partnership with the International Society for Technology in Education (ISTE) and the Association for Supervision and Curriculum Development (ASCD), DESE convened a K–12 AI Task Force focused on developing recommendations to support school communities in their use of AI. This Task Force produced a Multi-Year AI Roadmap focused on AI literacy, student data privacy, and educator preparation.
“We need to prepare our students for the future, and for good or bad, artificial intelligence will play a huge role in all of our futures,” said Superintendent Cohen. “Our school district is proud to join 30 other schools in this innovative pilot program. We appreciate the opportunity to start examining the role of AI in education from the ground floor. As we better understand AI’s impact, we’ll be better prepared to make it work in the classroom.”
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