Community Colleges & Nonprofits
A ready-to-run AI-skills lab program for rural and nontraditional learners.
Working adults, career changers, and rural students are among the people most exposed to AI’s changes to work — and least served by today’s training. AIML is proposing a partnership that brings them structured, supported lab modules for directing and checking AI tools, funded through the Atlassian Foundation’s 2026 open call.
Partners we’re looking for
This call funds collective action. We’re building the collective.
The Foundation looks for partnerships that directly relieve disadvantage and help education evolve for the AI era. Western North Carolina’s community colleges serve exactly the learners it is written for.
Partner 1
Community colleges
Colleges reaching nontraditional, rural, working, and adult learners — through credit courses, continuing education, or workforce programs. You provide a faculty or program lead and a place for the labs to run.
Partner 2
A well-resourced nonprofit
An established nonprofit with the organizational and grant-management capacity to co-lead — or lead — a two-year, multi-partner award, and with reach into the communities these learners live in.
What the partnership delivers
A structured program, not a pilot to figure out.
Built on AIML’s agentic AI education research and lab work already running in university classrooms. We’ll walk partners through the materials directly.
- AI-skills lab modules adapted for community college and workforce learners.
- Instructor guide and training so faculty can teach the labs with confidence.
- Human-in-the-loop practice tools for learning to direct and check AI work.
- Evaluation and reporting handled by AIML, including what funders need to see.
- Grant writing led by AIML, with partners reviewing every section that names them.
Who does what
Clear roles from day one
| Partner | Commits | Receives |
|---|---|---|
| Community college | A named faculty or program lead; a course or workforce program to host the labs; a letter of support by ~Oct 23; help reaching learners. | A funded, ready-to-run lab program; instructor training; evaluation data on your learners. |
| Nonprofit partner | Lead or co-applicant role; grant and financial management; a letter of support; community reach. | A defined program with an education research partner and measurable outcomes. |
| AIML | Proposal writing; lab materials and tools; instructor training; evaluation and reporting. | A regional site for agentic AI education that serves learners universities don’t reach. |
Timeline
Three weeks to a proposal
Now – Oct 17
Intro calls20 minutes to see if it fits
By Oct 23
Letters of supportWe draft; you edit and sign
Oct 30
Proposal submittedAtlassian Foundation open call
By Mar 31, 2027
DecisionIf funded, launch in 2027
Start the conversation
Interested in partnering?
Send a note and we’ll set up a 20-minute call this week. There’s no commitment until you sign a letter of support.
Prefer to call? (828) 290-2002 or info@avlml.org