OpenAI Academy, in partnership with the Walton Family Foundation, will host an in-person AI Skills Jam series this summer aimed at K–12 teachers, school administrators, and district leaders across U.S. cities. The initiative is designed to provide a practical, trust-based environment where educators can move from curiosity about AI to effective, responsible classroom and school-system use.
Program and audience
The Jam will bring together more than 1,600 K–12 teachers, administrators, and district leaders for hands-on workshops. Participants will work alongside OpenAI mentors to explore how AI can support everyday school tasks such as lesson planning, parent and staff communications, administrative workflows, and other routine responsibilities.
Workshop format and follow-up resources
Sessions are focused on real classroom and system needs, offering time to try tools, ask questions, discuss concerns, and build confidence in using AI. After the in-person Jam, educators will be connected to the free OpenAI Academy online platform, which provides resources and best-practice guidance so they can continue developing their skills beyond the event.
Evidence on time savings
The effort cites research from the Walton Family Foundation and Gallup — the "Teaching for Tomorrow: Closing the Expectations Gap" report — indicating that teachers who use AI tools at least weekly report saving an average of 5.9 hours per week. Spread across a typical school year, that equates to roughly six weeks of time that teachers can reinvest into activities such as more detailed student feedback, individualized lesson planning, parent communication, or getting home earlier.
Long-term goals
OpenAI frames the Jam as more than a single-day workshop series: the organization intends to build ongoing relationships with educators, school-system leaders, and ecosystem partners to promote useful, responsible, and accessible AI adoption in education over time.
Leadership statement
Leah Belsky, Vice President of Education at OpenAI, said: “Educators are at the center of helping communities understand and adapt to new technology. Through the AI Skills Jam for K–12 Educators, we want to give teachers and school leaders practical support, trusted learning environments, and direct opportunities to shape how AI can be used responsibly in education. Access to AI is just the starting point, the real opportunity is building the agency to use these tools thoughtfully and solve meaningful problems.”
Partners and acknowledgements
Confirmed locations and local partners were announced for the Jam series; the program thanks participating districts, school systems, educators, partners and the Walton Family Foundation for shaping the effort and providing leadership and expertise to make AI useful and accessible in education.
