Eight AI Cohorts for Educators, Starting September 8

It’s still summer. But we all know what the next few weeks look like.

The calendar fills, the rosters land, and the question we all knew was coming gets dropped on us: what are we actually doing about AI this year?

If last year is any guide, the honest answer for most of us was that we reacted. We made case-by-case calls on assignments. We fielded questions from students, parents, and colleagues without a shared answer to point to. We watched students use tools we hadn’t tried ourselves. It worked, more or less, because it had to.

This year can go differently. And it doesn’t take a whole summer to make that happen.

Introducing the AI in EDU Cohorts

Starting September 8, we are running eight online cohorts for educators working through AI in their schools. Four weeks each. Live, not recorded. Capped at 30 educators.

Each cohort includes:

Four weekly live sessions, one hour each, plus office hours
A dedicated cohort channel so the learning continues between sessions rather than stopping when the meeting ends
Up to 5 PD hours, four for participation and a fifth through a performance task, with a credential for verification
Facilitation by practicing educators, not presenters describing the work from a distance

The cost is $199 per cohort.

See all eight cohorts and register →

Why four weeks, and why so small

There is a reason these are not one-off webinars, and a reason each one stops at 30 people.

Four weeks is long enough to try something, have it go sideways, and come back with a question. That loop is where the actual learning lives. A single session, however good, ends before anyone has tested anything with students.

Thirty is the number where a cohort still functions as a room. People recognize each other’s names by week two. Questions get asked that nobody would type into a chat with 400 attendees. The office hours have space for the specific problem in your building rather than the general case.

Small also means seats are genuinely limited, which is worth saying plainly: registration for each cohort closes the moment it fills, and we do not add seats.

Wave 1: September

The Gem in AI: Google Gemini for Schools

Eric Curts, Google Certified Innovator and Trainer Tuesdays, 4-5pm ET, starting September 15

A hands-on deep dive into Google’s free generative AI tool: prompting, fact checking, deep research, guided learning, the canvas tool, custom Gems, image and audio generation, integration with Classroom and NotebookLM, and data privacy features.

Built for: teachers, coaches, and tech integrationists in Google Workspace for Education schools.

AI for Differentiation & Accessibility

Jess Brittingham, Director of Instructional Technology, Easton, MA Wednesdays, 6-7pm ET, starting September 9

Designing flexible, accessible learning environments aligned to the Universal Design for Learning framework. The cohort moves from foundational AI literacy through specialized tools like Gemini, Custom Gems, and NotebookLM, with classroom-ready strategies for each of the three UDL pillars: Engagement, Representation, and Action & Expression. The goal is personalized entry points, fewer linguistic and cognitive barriers, and graduated scaffolds that build real learner agency.

Built for: K-12 teachers, coaches, instructional leaders, and tech integrationists.

AI for International School Leaders

Tom Daccord, international speaker, instructor, and author Tuesdays, 4-5pm ET, starting September 8

International schools sit in a distinct position: multilingual learners, internationally mobile families, diverse faculty, and a mandate to prepare students for a fast-moving future. This cohort works through the questions leaders are facing right now on assessment, academic integrity, student use, faculty readiness, and parent expectations, using practical examples, case studies, and guided discussion.

Built for: heads of school, principals, curriculum directors, and technology leaders at international and independent schools.

Leading AI Governance, Guidance, and Policy for Schools

Jed Stefanowicz, Director of Digital Learning and Innovation, Nashoba Regional School District, MA Thursdays, 6-7pm ET, starting September 10

AI is changing schools faster than policy can keep pace, and leaders are being asked to make calls on teaching, privacy, academic integrity, and technology without a clear roadmap. Rather than focusing on individual tools, this cohort builds the system around them: shared vision, governance structures, clear expectations for staff and students, consistent decisions about AI technologies, and a culture of continuous improvement. Each session pairs leadership strategy with implementation tools you can adapt for your own district.

Built for: building and district administrators, technology directors, and teacher leaders drafting or revising AI policy.

Wave 2: October

AI for Instructional Leaders

Jen Thomas, Library Media Specialist, Portsmouth High School, RI Mondays, 7-8pm ET, starting October 5

For the educator who wears every hat. You are not just the book person, the coach, or the tech person. You are a department of one, expected to be expert in everything with bandwidth for almost nothing. Four weeks to reclaim time, brand your expertise, and scale your impact, ending with a portfolio of ready-to-deploy resources built for your role.

Built for: instructional leaders, librarians, coaches, and specialists.

AI for International School Educators

Tom Daccord, international speaker, instructor, and author Tuesdays, 4-5pm ET, starting October 6

International classrooms bring together students with different languages, cultures, and educational backgrounds. AI opens real opportunities for differentiation, feedback, language support, and student agency, and it raises hard questions about thinking, assessment, and authentic work. This cohort focuses on classroom strategies that strengthen learning while protecting the human relationships at the center of teaching.

Built for: classroom teachers and coaches at international and independent schools, including IB, A-Level, and multilingual settings.

Vibe Coding: Create Your Own Custom AI Tools

Greg Bagby, educational technology leader and district advisor Thursdays, 5-6pm ET, starting October 8

If you have ever thought “there should be a tool that does this,” you can build it. This cohort pairs Gemini as a brainstorming and logic engine with PlayLab.AI as the sandbox, walking step by step through creating custom learning apps, interactive tutors, and time-saving productivity tools. No computer science background required. What you need is a clear picture of what your classroom is missing.

Built for: curious educators at any grade level and any technical comfort level.

Student Agency & Leadership with AI

Lucia Hassel-Lee and Troy Gordon, Directors of Technology Integration, Holton-Arms School, MD Thursdays, 7-8pm ET, starting October 8

Most AI conversations in schools are about what adults decide. This one puts students in an active role. Using platforms like NotebookLM, the cohort works on goal-setting, self-efficacy, pacing, and ownership, and examines how centering student voice changes engagement across a building.

Built for: K-12 teachers, advisors, and school leaders who want students taking an active role in how AI shows up at school.

What educators told us

“Given how quickly AI has become part of education, this course has better prepared me to understand, implement, and share my experiences with AI in my classroom.”

AI in EDU Course Participant, 2025

A word on timing

Wave 1 begins September 8, which is about five weeks out. Each cohort stops at 30 educators, and registration closes the moment one fills.

The September timing is deliberate. These sessions run while the year is still taking shape, when a new routine can still become the routine. Whatever we work on in week one is something we can try that Thursday, with actual students, and bring back to the group the following week.

If one of these sounds right, better to claim a seat now than to circle back in late August.