The Regional Educational Media Center (REMC) Association of Michigan, funded jointly by REMC and an MDE grant, is delivering a professional learning experience for Michigan educational leaders using a Train-the-Trainer model during Summer 2026. The programme is designed to scale responsible AI and media literacy practices statewide: participating educators receive intensive training and a $100 stipend, then are expected to bring AI literacy instruction back to their own buildings and districts. The MDE grant provides the funding backbone, making participation free for districts.
Who it affects: Michigan educational leaders and instructional coaches who attend the summer institute, and subsequently the students in their districts. The train-the-trainer model is designed to multiply impact beyond the direct cohort, with each trained leader becoming a local AI literacy resource.
What is notably missing: The programme is voluntary — no mandate requires educators or districts to participate. The MDE grant funding is finite and not recurring as a statutory appropriation. The train-the-trainer model depends on participants actively implementing what they learn after the summer institute, with no monitoring or accountability mechanism to verify follow-through at the district level.