The Idaho State Board of Education awarded seven AI Innovation Awards totaling $645,197 on Tuesday, funding projects that will build AI literacy and responsible-use tools across all eight of the state's public colleges and universities. The grants are part of Accelerate Idaho, a $4 million initiative backed by the U.S. Department of Education's Fund for the Improvement of Postsecondary Education.
The seven projects were selected from 16 proposals through a competitive review process. They range from building locally hosted AI systems for computer science students to embedding AI literacy into first-year writing programs and teacher preparation coursework.
"These projects are well-aligned with board priorities," said Liza Long, the state board's director of digital learning and AI. "I'm also delighted to see the humanitarian goals reflected here: This work enhances learning for students with intellectual and developmental disabilities; promotes hands-on experience for undergrads; enhances faculty engagement and experience; extends high-demand programs and future career opportunities into rural Idaho; and improves teacher education."
Projects funded across Idaho's institutions
Idaho State University received two of the largest awards. Its BengalBot MCP project, funded at $300,000 over two years, will expand a locally hosted AI system so students learn to build, configure and audit AI tools. The project also includes a campus-wide writing assistant and a theater production management tool. A second ISU project, AI VIP (AI-Enabled Vertically Integrated Pathways), received $299,913 over four years to pair AI-supported advising and career-pathway tools with faculty support to help first-generation students stay on track toward a degree.
Boise State University also secured two grants. AI Literacy in the Disciplines ($299,998 over four years) will build AI teaching capacity across academic departments through faculty implementation teams and an annual AI Institute. The AI for Independence project ($299,999 over four years) integrates AI literacy instruction into the PEERS program for students with intellectual and developmental disabilities, supporting both learning and employment preparation.
The University of Idaho's Preservice Teachers' Two-Tier AI Curriculum ($299,743 over four years) embeds AI literacy into teacher-preparation coursework across science, English language arts and mathematics methods courses. The goal is to prepare future K-12 teachers to use AI responsibly in their classrooms - a priority that aligns with growing demand for AI training for educators.
College of Eastern Idaho received $229,247 over two years for Building Critical AI Literacy in English 101/102, which will develop openly licensed AI literacy curriculum for first-year writing courses, with training for both full-time and adjunct faculty. Lewis-Clark State College's Project AI-RISE ($150,000 over four years) will build secure, rural-ready AI computing infrastructure to extend dual-credit AI and cybersecurity coursework to 16 school districts in Region 2.
How the broader initiative works
Accelerate Idaho runs from January 2026 through December 2029 and operates across two tracks. Track 1 delivers AI Catalyst Fellows, General Education Matriculation Microgrants and student-facing technology to all eight public postsecondary institutions. Track 2 consists of the competitive AI Innovation Awards announced this week.
Each institution's subaward agreement will be finalized in the coming months, with projects launching during the 2026-2027 academic year. A call for proposals for Year 2 funding will be released in the coming weeks.
Why this matters for educators
The funded projects signal a shift toward building AI literacy directly into teacher preparation, first-year college courses and support services for underserved students. For K-12 educators and higher education faculty, the emphasis on open licensing and discipline-specific materials means curriculum developed through these grants could influence classroom practice well beyond Idaho. The teacher preparation work at University of Idaho, in particular, offers a model for how AI in education moves from standalone workshops to embedded coursework that future teachers carry into their own classrooms.
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