Mississippi AI Collaborative Launch!

🌟 We’re excited to introduce the Mississippi AI Collaborative - a community-driven partnership dedicated to revolutionizing the way we learn, teach, and do business in our state through artificial intelligence.

Our mission is simple yet bold: to equip Mississippians with the AI fluency needed for the jobs of today and tomorrow. We believe in a future where every student, educator, and entrepreneur has the tools to innovate and excel.

About the Solution

The state of Mississippi stands at a pivotal juncture, confronted with the pressing need to integrate artificial intelligence into its educational framework. In higher education, the state loses half of its college graduates to brain drain annually. Further, 99.3% of Mississippi businesses are small businesses with limited resources, which puts them at a disadvantage to fully learn and benefit from new technology such as generative AI. The state and its workforce would benefit from an integrated approach to generative AI skilling that bridges the gap between education and industry.

Mississippi AI Collaborative is a multi-stakeholder project—spanning across K-12 public schools, higher education, non-traditional education platforms, and small businesses—to develop an ecosystem of leveraging AI in the state of Mississippi. The ecosystem intervention includes an intensive AI curriculum that will be taught to K-12 public school teachers across the state. We plan to host a “Skill-AI-Thon” to develop AI capabilities statewide for universities, employers, and libraries. Finally, we will develop an apprenticeship program, where Jackson State University students will work with small businesses and nonprofits to leverage AI tools to boost their online presence, optimize their marketing strategies, and craft more engaging communication with their customers.

Through our Skill AI-thons, AI curriculum integration in schools, and the launch of a pioneering AI upskilling agency, we are setting out to transform the digital landscape of Mississippi through principles that center ethics and equity.

👩🏾‍🏫From K-12 to college, the Mississippi Coding Academies and Computer Science Teachers Association are preparing our educators with the AI Accelerator and Educator AI Lab programs, turning classrooms into hubs of future-focused learning.

🤝 In partnerships between higher education and the community, we’re not just talking about digital transformation; we’re making it a reality, aiming for impactful changes with every student we upskill.

🚀 And with the support of local initiatives like the JSU AI-thon by Jackson State University and community partners such as the Bean Path we're fostering a culture where community, technology, and innovation thrive together.

Leading with Localism

This ecosystem intervention recognizes that there is not one organization or sector that can achieve this full-scale generative AI skilling approach alone. Through its partnerships approach, the organization is building a sustainable career pipeline, starting with educators in K-12 education, advancing to higher education and boot camps, and driving small business opportunities. Furthermore, this intervention understands the importance of making generative AI training accessible to all populations across urban and rural geographies, diverse socioeconomic backgrounds, and various racial and ethnic groups. This inclusive approach is mission-built to serve and uplift Mississippi’s entire community.

Stay tuned as we share our journey, celebrate our milestones, and invite you all to be a part of this transformative movement.

Partners: 
Mississippi Coding Academies 
Jackson State University 
Computer Science Teacher Association- MS
Bean Path 

Let’s innovate, empower, and inspire together. #MSAICollaborative #AIforMS #TechEmpoweredMississippi #generativeai #msaicollaborative