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Holyoke Community College Launches Free Summer Course Covering AI Fundamentals and Ethics
Holyoke Community College offers a free 12-week AI Essentials course this summer for Massachusetts residents. Learn key AI concepts and hands-on skills with live online classes twice a week.
Holyoke Community College Launches Free AI Essentials Course This Summer
Holyoke Community College in Massachusetts is teaming up with the nonprofit CanCode Communities to offer a free, 12-week online course focused on the fundamentals of artificial intelligence. The course, titled AI Essentials, will run twice a week from June 24 through September 11.
Classes are held on Tuesdays and Thursdays, 5:45 to 8:45 p.m., and are open at no cost to eligible Massachusetts residents. This instructor-led program offers real-time training designed to build practical AI skills.
What Participants Will Learn
Over the course of 12 weeks, students will cover essential AI concepts such as prompt engineering, tokenization, embeddings, model architectures, retrieval-augmented generation, agency, compute requirements, and ethical considerations.
The curriculum emphasizes hands-on experience using popular AI tools like Google AI Studio, n8n, and OpenWebUI. Participants will get a clear picture of how AI models are constructed, trained, and deployed in practical settings.
Benefits for Education Professionals
For educators and trainers, this course offers an opportunity to expand technical knowledge and problem-solving skills relevant to AI applications in education and training environments. Engaging with current AI tools can help professionals better support their students or staff as AI technologies increasingly influence learning and administrative systems.
"Participants will gain valuable professional development experience, enhancing both their technical abilities and critical thinking skills," said Arvard Lingham, executive director of community education and corporate training at HCC.
Additional Details and Registration
- Limited seats are available to maintain an effective learning environment.
- Laptops and WiFi hotspots will be provided to students who need them to ensure access.
- The program is funded by the Western Mass Alliance for Digital Equity.
Interested individuals can register by emailing admissions@albanycancode.org or by visiting cancode.org/apply-now and selecting the “AI Essentials” course.
For those looking to explore more AI training options, Complete AI Training offers a variety of courses covering prompt engineering, AI tools, and certifications that can complement and extend the skills gained in this program.