Missouri and Google partner on AI and career training 8.9.2026 Drew Sidel | Google Italia Today we are announcing a statewide partnership with Missouri’s classrooms and workforce to prepare students, educators, and local residents with no-cost access to Google AI tools, training, and professional certificates. Google is announcing a statewide partnership with the Missouri Department of Elementary and Secondary Education (DESE) and the Department of Higher Education and Workforce Development (DHEWD). This collaboration will provide nearly 100,000 educators and more than 1.1 million students across K-12 and higher education institutions with no-cost access to enterprise-grade AI tools, training curriculum, and industry credentials. Responsible AI in the classroom We know administrative demands often take time away from direct instruction. Research shows that AI can save educators as much as an average of 10 hours a week, giving them more time to support and mentor students. Through this initiative, Missouri public schools and higher education institutions will gain access to: Gemini for Education & Gemini Notebook: Designed to help educators quickly generate differentiated lesson materials, summarize coursework, and provide students with step-by-step instructional support. Google AI Educator Series: Free, foundational training and credentials to help teachers and administrators build practical AI literacy at their own pace Google AI Professional Certificate and Google Career Certificates: Hands-on industry-recognized credentials that educators can integrate into high school and college coursework to help students build real-world skills in high-demand fields like AI, cybersecurity, data analytics, and IT support. Privacy, security, and local control Rigorous standards for data security and privacy are built into the foundation of Google’s education tools. This means conversations and data within Gemini for Education are private, protected by enterprise-grade security, and not used to train Google's AI models. Education institutions maintain administrative control over data, helping to ensure a safe digital environment for everyone. While this is a statewide partnership, adoption of Google’s AI tools and training programs is voluntary. Each school district, college, and university will determine if, when, and how to integrate these resources to best serve their community. Workforce pathways across the state To extend these opportunities beyond traditional education — and prepare all Missourians for the jobs of today and tomorrow — we’re opening up access to Google Career Certificates and Google AI courses at no cost to all state residents through local Missouri Job Centers. By pairing classroom innovation with community workforce development, Missouri is establishing a forward-looking model for how states can responsibly embrace AI. To learn more about accessing these tools from the Missouri Department of Elementary and Secondary Education (dese.mo.gov) and the Department of Higher Education and Workforce Development (dhewd.mo.gov). https://blog.google/products-and-platforms/products/education/missouri-state-education-partnership