Every day, teachers, administrators, and district leaders in K–12 help students learn and get ready for the future. At the same time, you're expected to navigate fast technological changes with little time, more responsibilities, and unequal support.
What if, instead of fear, you found a practical, trusted space to try tools? That's exactly what OpenAI Academy proposes with its AI Skills Jam for K–12 educators, in partnership with the Walton Family Foundation: in-person, hands-on workshops and support to move from curiosity to concrete use.
What is the AI Skills Jam and why it matters
The AI Skills Jam is a series of in-person workshops designed for teachers, administrators, and district leaders. More than 1,600 participants will gather in several U.S. cities this summer to learn alongside OpenAI mentors how to integrate AI into real tasks: lesson planning, family communications, administrative work, and feedback to students.
The goal isn't just to show tools, but to create a trusted environment where you can try things out, ask questions, and make mistakes without pressure. Plus, attendees will have ongoing access to OpenAI Academy, a free platform with resources and best-practice guides to keep learning.
Relevant data and real-time impact
One statistic worth highlighting: research from the Walton Family Foundation and Gallup shows that teachers who use AI tools at least once a week estimate saving 5.9 hours per week on average. Translated across a school year, that's roughly six weeks of time.
Where does that time go? Teachers report more detailed feedback for students, individualized planning, better communication with families, or simply being able to get home at a more reasonable hour. Those benefits are practical and tangible, not futurism.
Where and when (confirmed dates)
The confirmed Jams include partnerships with districts and local organizations:
- Jonesboro, GA — with Clayton County Public Schools — Wednesday, July 8
- Fairfax, VA — with Fairfax County Public Schools — Thursday, July 9
- Orlando, FL — at the PTA Conference — Saturday, July 11
- Chicago, IL — with District 211 — Wednesday, July 15
- San Bernardino, CA — with San Bernardino City Unified School District — Wednesday, July 22
- Phoenix, AZ — with Vertex Education & Legacy Traditional Schools — Friday, July 31
- Salt Lake City, UT — with Davis School District — Friday, August 7
- Las Vegas, NV — with Vertex Education & Legacy Traditional Schools — Friday, September 4
If you work in a school or district, these events can be a good chance to see solutions in action and connect with other educators facing the same challenges.
What to expect in a workshop (and how to prepare)
Sessions are practical: you'll work with mentors to apply AI to concrete day-to-day school problems. It's not theory, it's hands-on. What should you bring?
- A real task you want to optimize (for example, a lesson plan or a template communication to families).
- Questions about data privacy and responsible use of AI in school settings.
- Clear expectations: what practical outcome do you want after the workshop?
It's also helpful to involve school leadership: responsible AI adoption often requires policies and agreements at the school or district level.
Concerns and responsibilities
Worries about privacy, equity, and trust are natural. OpenAI acknowledges this and frames the Jam as a space to address these concerns: time to ask questions, share worries, and build responsible practices.
The idea isn't to sell a magic solution, but to offer tools and judgment so educators can decide how and when to use AI ethically and effectively.
A step toward greater teacher agency
As Leah Belsky, Vice President of Education at OpenAI, put it, the goal is to give educators practical support and trusted learning environments so they themselves can model responsible AI use in schools.
The lesson? AI doesn't replace teaching; it can free up time and enhance meaningful tasks if implemented thoughtfully and with support. These Jams are a concrete opportunity to start building that agency.