'GO Beyond Traditional Education' meets Google in Silicon Valley: AI that keeps the human at the center
A six-person delegation from the Steering Committee of the Italian Salesian project 'GO Beyond Traditional Education / Gemini@Salesians' visited Google's headquarters in Mountain View to discuss responsible AI in education. The goal: deepen collaboration and align on an expansion plan that keeps dignity and whole-person development at the core of innovation.
Launched in 2025, the project has grown from a regional pilot into a national initiative. What began with 750 teachers in 26 institutes in North East Italy (INE) now involves about 1,600 educators across 50+ Salesian schools and Vocational Training Centres (CFP), serving more than 25,000 students.
What the research is showing
In partnership with the Pontifical Salesian University (UPS) and the Salesian University Institute of Venice (IUSVE), early findings point to meaningful, measurable gains. Monitoring continues, but the signal is clear.
- Time back to teach: Teachers report an estimated 37% subjective time saving on teaching tasks-reinvested in listening, presence, and one-to-one guidance, the heart of the Salesian approach.
- Instructional innovation: 550+ documented teaching activities and ~100 productivity workflows across lesson design, content generation, personalization, and support for students with special needs.
- Teacher as co-pilot: AI doesn't replace the teacher. It supports customization, planning, and creative pedagogy while the educator leads.
The project runs on an integrated ecosystem: Google for Education (with the Gemini platform), MR Digital (technical and training support), and academic partners UPS and IUSVE for pedagogy, research, and ethics. Learn more about UPS: Pontifical Salesian University.
Inside the Silicon Valley visit
The agenda focused on practical collaboration. Over 2-3 December, the delegation toured the Tech Park/Demo Center and the Mountain View campus, then continued in San Francisco with a campus visit, a leaders' meeting, and a 1:1 session with Google counterparts.
Ahead of the 1:1 meeting, National Coordinator Fr Elio Cesari shared an expanded vision: increase Gemini licenses in Italy to nearly 2,000 teachers in 2026 and open participation to Salesian schools in other countries that have expressed strong interest.
What the committee requested
- Sustain research: Financial support to continue the university-led evaluation and keep the model evidence-based.
- Scale training: Resources to expand and improve teacher training-especially as new countries come on board.
- Global sharing: Support for cross-country exchanges among Salesian network schools.
Why this matters for educators
AI is helping educators reclaim time, deepen relationships, and personalize learning without losing the teacher's voice. The project is proving that responsible AI can fit inside a values-first framework and still deliver practical, daily gains in classrooms and labs.
Practical steps you can apply now
- Start with a pilot cohort and clear use cases (lesson planning, assessment feedback, classroom differentiation).
- Document workflows and outcomes; share exemplars across departments and campuses.
- Adopt simple, teacher-friendly guidelines for ethics, transparency, and data protection.
- Invest early in coaching and peer support; treat training as continuous, not one-off.
- Partner with a university or research body to track impact and course-correct with evidence.
The Salesian mission remains steady: give young people access to the latest technology while never losing sight of the person in front of us. This collaboration with Google can help define how AI supports education at scale-responsibly, practically, and with human dignity first.
If you're building AI capability in your institution, you may find these curated resources useful: AI courses by job.
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