Board staff outlines statewide AI training for teachers, $500,000 grant and lesson‑plan library

Matt Winters, USB AI education specialist, told the committee about a statewide program to train educators in artificial intelligence and about related policy work.

Winters said the Office of AI Policy in the Utah Department of Commerce worked with board staff to develop regulatory mitigation plans for LEAs, and he expects those plans to be incorporated into an update of the board's AI framework. He said staff are also preparing a glossary of AI key terms at LEA request.

On program delivery, Winters described a grant‑funded initiative (about $500,000) that will train teachers across the state. He said more than half the grant funding will go directly to teachers. The program consists of three parts: a one‑hour in‑school professional development session, a two‑hour Canvas course for continuing support, and a requirement that teachers write a lesson plan that either uses student‑facing AI tools or teaches about AI in a content area. Winters said the program has identified roughly 200–250 school sites for training over the next four months and that the resulting lesson plans will be publicly posted in the fall on state resource sites.

Winters also said USB is running internal trainings for agency staff and is considering a second statewide AI summit. He offered to share full training materials and to invite committee members to observe site visits.

Committee members requested opportunities to see the lessons and site trainings; Winters said staff will share calendars and can provide board briefings.