MSAIC Announces the 2023-2024 Educator Accelerator Cohort

[Jackson, MS] — The  Mississippi AI Collaborative (MSAIC), is thrilled to announce the selection of 10 educators for the 2023-24 Educator AI Accelerator Fellowship. This fellowship aims to equip educators with the skills, knowledge, and advocacy tools to lead the way in fostering equitable AI use in Mississippi's education landscape.

In a rapidly evolving digital era, artificial intelligence is becoming integral to various industries, and education is no exception. Recognizing the urgent need for educators to play a central role in upskilling Mississippians in AI, the MSAIC is proud to provide in-depth professional learning to educators from across the state. 

The AI Educator Accelerator Fellowship Highlights:

Empowering Educators: Fostering educator leadership in AI education is a key component of the Accelerator Fellowship. The MSAIC is a collaborative involving various Mississippi education organizations, such as the Bean Path, Jackson State University, Mississippi Chapter of the Computer Science Teachers Association, and Mississippi Coding Academies. Notably, the group secured the Generative AI grant from data.org in late 2023, making it the sole North American recipient. With this grant and support from other partners, MSAIC is committed to upskilling Mississippians, positioning them at the forefront of AI utilization and tool creation.

Expanding Educator Capacity: The primary goal of the Accelerator is to empower educators to take on a leadership role, ensuring that Mississippi's students are at the forefront of the advancements offered by the use and creation of AI tools. Throughout the Accelerator, fellows will craft workshops aimed at delivering professional learning experiences to their colleagues in the region and across the state, offering continuous support throughout the academic year.

Equitable AI Advocacy: The fellowship emphasizes advocacy, empowering educators to become champions of equitable AI practices and policies within their schools and communities. With a deep understanding of AI and hands-on experience in education, they possess the skills to spearhead policy development. Additionally, they are well-positioned to advocate for broader support within educational organizations, ensuring learners receive instruction on both the construction and utilization of AI.

Why Educators?

"Empowering educators is crucial in ensuring that AI becomes an accessible and inclusive tool for all Mississippians. By equipping educators with the right skills, we are not just enhancing classrooms, out-of-school programming, and higher ed environments; we are laying the foundation for a future where everyone can benefit from the opportunities that AI presents," says Bob Busek, MSAIC Co-Founder and CEO of Mississippi Coding Academies.

Meet the Fellows:

The selected fellows represent a diverse group of educators from across Mississippi, each bringing unique perspectives and experiences to the cohort. They are passionate about leveraging AI to create enriching learning environments that prepare students for the challenges of the future.

2023-2024 AI Educator Accelerator Fellows:

• Ann Beard Etier, Gifted Educator at Northwest Rankin Middle School (Flowood, MS)

• Stephanie Calhoun, Computer Science Teacher at Tunica Middle School (Tunica, MS)

• Catrina Davis, 2nd Grade Teacher at The Canopy School (Ridgeland, MS)

• Shivochie Dinkins, Integration Technology Specialist and Computer Science Teacher at Yazoo County High School (Yazoo, MS)

• Dionne Lewis, CTE Teacher at Mississippi Schools for the Deaf & Blind (Jackson, MS)

• Cindy Martin, 7th Grade ELA teacher at Enterprise Middle School (Stonewall, MS)

• Reginald Matthews, Director of Information Technology at Southwest MS Community College (Summit, MS)

• Shelby Pearson, Teacher and Coach at Calhoun City High School (Calhoun City, MS)

• Melissa Sanzin, Library Media Specialist at Thomas L. Reeves Elementary (Long Beach, MS)

• Misty Whitehead, CSpire’s Software Development Pathway Teacher at Oxford High School (Oxford, MS)

The Mississippi AI Collaborative announces the 2023-2024 AI Educator Accelerator Cohort

Join the Movement:

The MS AI Collaborative invites educators, policymakers, and the community to join this initiative. We collectively contribute to a more equitable and technologically advanced Mississippi by supporting educators in their journey to become AI leaders.

For more information about the Educator AI Lab and the Accelerator Fellowship Program, please visit mississippiai.org.

Media Contact:

Krystal Chatman

MSAIC, Co-Founder

mississippi@csteachers.org