A new initiative from Microsoft will provide Washington public school districts and community colleges with free access to the company’s AI-powered learning tools, professional development opportunities and infrastructure support.
The program, Microsoft Elevate Washington, aims to alleviate emerging disparities in AI adoption across regions and position Washington as a leader in AI-augmented education, according to a recent report. blog post on the company’s website by company vice president and president Brad Smith. Its goal is to help teachers save time on administrative tasks, enabling students to quickly become familiar with emerging technologies and bridging the digital divide between urban and rural areas.
Smith wrote that the Microsoft AI for Good Lab find a significant divide in the use of AI across Washington, particularly in rural areas, which motivated this initiative. In counties around Puget Sound in Washington state, for example, more than 30% of residents use AI tools, compared to 2.5% in Ferry County, “a gap ten times greater than the most connected regions of the state.”
“As we have learned from working for a decade on broadband affordability across the state, this is not just a technology gap, but an opportunity gap,” Smith wrote. “Because in tomorrow’s economy, those who understand and use AI will be more successful than those who don’t. »
Through the new program, the blog post states that 295 public school districts and 34 community colleges will receive free access to Copilot Studio, which allows users to create custom AI agents with no coding experience to support administrative and operational work, for up to three years starting in January 2026.
Up to 10 school districts and 10 colleges will also receive $25,000 in technology consulting services to help them create and launch AI agents tailored to their needs, according to the blog.
Microsoft will work with the Office of Superintendent of Public Instruction, the Washington Education Association, and the National Education Association to provide AI training to educators and staff across the state. Smith wrote that the company also plans to support role-based professional development, a generative AI training series for educators and a statewide K-12 AI innovation summit.
As part of this initiative, Microsoft will issue an open call for partners to co-design scalable AI solutions with schools and colleges, in addition to collaborating with nonprofit organizations such as Code.org to expand Hour of AI programs and engage Microsoft employees as classroom volunteers.
By combining access to tools, training and funding, Smith said Microsoft aims to make Washington “a national model for the equitable adoption of AI in education.”
“We do not claim to have all the answers, but we have shaped this effort in close collaboration with a broad coalition of voices across Washington,” he wrote. “Most importantly, we are committed to working alongside educators because they are the driving force behind our shared vision of the future. »
