Nebraskans will have helping hands and friendly faces guiding them in free sessions to learn about using Artificial Intelligence, or “AI,” thanks to a new statewide initiative. The effort is led by the University of Nebraska Omaha’s (UNO) AI-CCORE and funded by Nebraska EPSCoR.
The program is titled NA'WI (sounds like “Nah-whee”)--that acronym stands for Nebraska AI Literacy and Workforce Infrastructure Initiative. During its three-year span, NA’WI plans a statewide campaign to reach up to 450 participants -- including rural educators, Extension and library partners, community college instructors, workforce partners, agricultural producers and workers, small business owners, local government officials, county boards, public-sector employees, healthcare and public health workers, nonprofit leaders, and community-service organizations.
NA’WI training is free for attendees and will cover AI literacy, AI fluency, responsible use, cybersecurity, privacy, ethics, and applied use cases in agriculture, small business, education, healthcare, public service, and community development. Sessions may include holograms of UNO Chancellor Joanne Li, enthusiastically introducing AI learning.
NA’WI’s focus is adults; youth participation is offered only through structured partner organizations. NA’WI can share its learning in Spanish as well as English and microcredentials can be earned. NA’WI will make reasonable accommodations for learners with disabilities, including accessible training sites, digital materials, and coordination with host site partners to support participation needs when requested in advance.
“The program aims to help rural Nebraskans demystify AI, correct common myths, build trust, and use AI responsibly in ways relevant to their work and communities,” said Matt Andrews, director of Nebraska EPSCoR. He added: “There’s no cost for participants to gain this learning about AI.”
NA’WI initial sessions will start in October near Omaha, with Year 1 activities also offered in Lincoln, Kearney, and North Platte. Year 2 activities extend the programming to northeast Nebraska, the Sandhills, and the Panhandle -- with sessions offered from hubs in Norfolk, Wayne, Scottsbluff, and Chadron. Year 3 plans include sessions in Grand Island, Columbus, Hastings, and Omaha, plus a statewide partner summit.
Funding supports the work of Parvathi Chundi, professor in UNO’s College of Information Science and Technology and an AI-CCORE AI Engineer, who co-leads NA’WI. She’ll develop and deliver AI learning at locations statewide via tablet computers and Starlink internet service.
The expected outcomes of the three-year initiative are: to reach 450 participants via 12 engagement hubs throughout Nebraska; to train local AI Champions; and to increase participant confidence and responsible AI use. The training will cover AI literacy, trust building, myths vs. reality, LLM (large language model) demonstrations, prompt practice, ethics, privacy, cybersecurity, and use cases for how AI can be applied. Further topics will include AI fluency, AI Champion pathways, and more.
To learn more about NA’WI, visit https://www.aiccore-uno.ai/initiatives/nawi.