Local know-how helps communities make the most of new technology and opportunities

With training and staff support from Microsoft, the library system launched the program as a pilot a few months ago to help residents build confidence using AI and understand how it could support their daily lives.

Building digital confidence

Eighteen people showed up at Boyd's first AI class in August, almost triple the turnout for classes she'd organized on other subjects in her town of about 1,300 people. They ranged from young adults to retirees, and she says most came because they didn't know what AI was and were curious. Some were surprised to discover they were already using it when they spoke into their phones or saw generated answers in search results.

For Boyd, who started working at one of the county's four libraries in 2004, the class was an extension of what libraries already do: give people a trusted place to learn, ask questions, find information and become comfortable using tools themselves.

The library support is part of Microsoft's Community-First AI Infrastructure commitment to the communities around its datacenters.

"Every community is unique, and lasting progress starts with listening to the people who know it best," says Justin Spelhaug, president of Microsoft Elevate, which leads the company's nonprofit, education and workforce programs. "Local schools, libraries, nonprofits and small businesses are trusted voices with deep insight into what their neighbors need. Microsoft can bring technology, resources and support, but working alongside these organizations is how we turn those tools into meaningful opportunities for people."

Protecting time for human connection

At a workforce nonprofit in Wyoming, the most valuable technology may be the kind its clients never see.

Single moms often arrive at Climb Wyoming navigating poverty, childcare and housing while grieving a death or divorce, recovering from trauma or rebuilding after incarceration. Experiences like those can make it hard to plan, prioritize or regulate emotions, says Molly Kruger, the organization's chief operating officer.

So Climb Wyoming tries to provide a healing environment that feels safe and predictable, Kruger says.

Its six locations across the state are designed to feel safe and welcoming, with couches, lamps, photographs of graduates and calendars on the walls. Staff greet women with thoughtful phrases like "I'm so glad you're here; I bet it took a lot to get here," before diving into their backgrounds and needs. Details like that, along with a predictable program structure, are intended to reduce anxiety and help participants regain a sense of control as they take work- and life-skills classes and move toward job placement.

At the Cheyenne location, 94% of participants have graduated over the past five years, and graduates' average monthly wages rose to about $2,900 from about $1,600 before the program.

But providing individualized support requires time. Kruger has been thinking about that more since becoming a fellow of Microsoft's TechSpark program, which trains nonprofit leaders to expand local technology programs and provides grants to support AI projects.

The new connections with other nonprofits around the country inspired Kruger to begin looking at whether technology could take some of the administrative work off employees' plates so they'd have more time to spend with clients.

Removing 'burdensome tasks'

Climb Wyoming, which just celebrated its 40^th anniversary, digitized mental health assessments and other paperwork and is using AI tools to create automated reports that help staff see more quickly where best to focus their efforts during the short 12-week programs.

"The more we can spend with families that we're working with and less on burdensome tasks, the better," Kruger says, adding that AI "has been a helpful thinking partner."

The organization also has used AI to help preserve its specific communication style in training materials and evolving policies, including in its employee handbook, and help with data analysis to become more effective and efficient.