PASSHE and Google Expand Partnership with New AI Training for Students

HARRISBURG, PA - Continuing a commitment to innovation in higher education, Pennsylvania's State System of Higher Education (PASSHE) is expanding its partnership with Google to ensure students across many academic programs have robust skills to use artificial intelligence (AI) effectively in college and their future careers.

"AI is not just for technology majors. I imagine a future in which every PASSHE university graduate will engage with AI as a tool in their future careers," said PASSHE Chancellor Christopher Fiorentino. "PASSHE is committed to innovation, and we're proud of our partnership with Google. This new AI initiative will help give students the AI skills they need to succeed today and when they enter the workforce."

Five PASSHE universities are among the inaugural members in the new initiative, the Google AI for Education Accelerator, which provides students, faculty, and staff with free access to AI training.

Through the program, students will learn the foundations of AI skills, techniques for effective prompting, and responsible use of AI tools. These skills can help students to study more efficiently, better understand complex material, and prepare for their careers. Students can also apply AI training to building resumes, practicing job interviews, or developing projects in their field.

"Pennsylvania is poised to be a leader in AI, and PASSHE university graduates will be the foundation of that success across many industries," said Diana Rogers-Adkinson, PASSHE vice chancellor and chief academic officer. "Our universities are a major supplier of talented graduates in business, health care, STEM, education and many other fields, and AI will play an important role in their work. Just as important, college equips students with the critical thinking skills to use AI most effectively in the workplace, ensuring they can apply the technology with judgment, creativity and purpose."

The participating universities are Cheyney, East Stroudsburg, Indiana University of Pennsylvania, PennWest and Millersville.

Expanding the PASSHE and Google Partnership
In 2023, PASSHE was the first higher education system in Pennsylvania to partner with Google to offer Google Career Certificates. The program offers skills training in cybersecurity, data analytics, digital marketing & e-commerce, business intelligence, IT support, project management and user experience (UX) design.

The online resources were made available to students in several undergraduate courses, allowing them to earn college credit and an industry-recognized credential at the same time.

"Every student deserves access to the AI skills needed to succeed in today's job market," said Lisa Gevelber, Founder of Grow with Google. "We are proud to partner with PASSHE to provide students with our most advanced AI products and training, ensuring they know how to make the most of the technology in the classroom and beyond. This program builds on years of us working together with universities to help students prepare for exciting careers."

###

About PASSHE
Pennsylvania's State System of Higher Education (PASSHE) is the public university system of the commonwealth with a mission to provide a high-quality education at the lowest possible cost to students. The State System annually confers more than 20,000 degrees and has more than 800,000 living alumni, most of whom live in Pennsylvania. The State System universities are Cheyney, Commonwealth (Bloomsburg, Lock Haven and Mansfield), East Stroudsburg, Indiana, Kutztown, Millersville, PennWest (California, Clarion and Edinboro), Shippensburg, Slippery Rock and West Chester universities of Pennsylvania.

About Grow with Google
Grow with Google started in 2017 to help Americans grow their skills, careers and businesses. It provides training, tools and expertise to help students, educators, job seekers, developers, startups, small business owners, veterans and military families. Since Grow with Google's inception, it has helped more than twelve million Americans develop skills. Grow with Google has a network of more than 9,000 partner organizations like libraries, schools, small business development centers, chambers of commerce and nonprofits to help people coast-to-coast.