Artificial Intelligence Literacy for Community Colleges is a multi-institution effort that helps community college students build the knowledge, skills, and confidence to engage with AI at school, at work, and in everyday life. Funded by the National Science Foundation (NSF) and led by Education Development Center (EDC) with Green River College (WA), Bridgerland Technical College (UT), Bunker Hill Community College (MA), Harford Community College (MD), and Nashville State Community College (TN), the project is creating a model pathway from two-year programs to four-year degrees in computer science and AI. Our team is co-designing and piloting an AI literacy course, integrating foundational AI and prompting skills into data science courses, and showing how AI applies across industry sectors.
Each college is developing a strategic plan to strengthen transfer pathways; profiling “middle-skilled” AI roles and aligning learning with local workforce needs; building faculty capacity through professional learning and industry externships; and expanding hands-on experiences for students. A key facet of our work also studies what’s effective, streamlines transfer to BA/BS programs, and builds stronger connections to industry, advancing NSF’s Improving Undergraduate STEM Education goals and broadening participation among students historically underserved in STEM.