Jefferson City, Missouri – September 10, 2026
Two Missouri state agencies announced a new partnership with Google aimed at providing educators, students, and job seekers across the state with free access to job‑readiness and artificial‑intelligence training. The Missouri Department of Higher Education and Workforce Development (MDHEWD) and the Missouri Department of Elementary and Secondary Education (DESE) will deliver the program through Google’s Grow with Google initiative, offering Google Career Certificates and AI courses online at no cost.
The partnership promises to streamline educator workloads, enable teachers to generate customized lesson plans, grading rubrics, and discussion summaries, and give students interactive learning experiences. Governor Mike Kehoe emphasized the state’s commitment to equipping its workforce with AI skills as the technology reshapes the economy, noting the importance of safe, ethical, and transparent AI use.
"This partnership reflects Missouri’s commitment to ensuring our workforce is equipped with the skills needed to stay competitive as AI rapidly reshapes our economy," said Gov. Kehoe.
Dr. Bennett Boggs, commissioner of MDHEWD, highlighted the program’s role in helping job seekers gain practical, high‑earning AI skills. "These courses strengthen our commitment to helping job seekers gain the practical skills and confidence needed to step into high‑quality careers," Boggs said.
In addition to career‑focused certificates, the initiative grants educators, students, and staff access to Google for Education AI tools such as Gemini for Education and Gemini Notebook, plus the Google AI Educator Series—standards‑aligned training at no cost. Google’s Chris Phillips, VP and GM of Education, noted the goal of delivering secure, cutting‑edge AI tools directly through K‑12 schools, colleges, universities, and local job centers.
"We’re proud to partner with Missouri to give educators, students, and professionals across the state no‑cost access to secure, cutting‑edge AI tools, training, and certifications," Phillips said.
DESE’s interim commissioner of education, Dr. Stacey Preis, stressed that school districts and charter schools retain full discretion over adopting the tools, emphasizing that the rollout will strengthen personalized learning and ensure safe, ethical AI interaction.
The rollout focuses on four pillars:
- Support for Educators – Automate lesson‑plan generation, grading rubrics, and discussion summaries.
- Customized Learning – Tailor materials to each student’s pace and needs.
- Research & Brainstorming – Provide AI‑assisted research while teaching verification of AI‑generated information.
- Digital Citizenship – Deliver a dedicated AI literacy curriculum to promote responsible, ethical use.
Google’s education tools are built with stringent data‑security and privacy standards, aligning with the state’s commitment to protecting student information.
Sources
- Missouri Department of Higher Education and Workforce Development, press release, September 10, 2026.
- Missouri Department of Elementary and Secondary Education, announcement, September 10, 2026.
- Governor Mike Kehoe statement, September 10, 2026.
- Google press release, September 10, 2026.
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