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AI Essentials Certification
You've probably heard a lot about artificial intelligence lately. Maybe you've tried ChatGPT a few times. Maybe someone at work uses it. Or maybe you've wondered what all the attention is about and haven't known where to start.
Register for the Course
The Course
AI Essentials Certification is designed to help you get started.
You don't need to be a computer expert, and you don't need any previous experience with AI. We'll start with the basics and give you plenty of opportunities to try things yourself.
By the end of the course, you'll know how to use tools like ChatGPT to help with everyday tasks, work, problem-solving, and learning something new. You'll also learn where AI can get things wrong, what information you should never share, and when to rely on your own judgment.
You will learn by doing in live workshops led by a trained facilitator, with a moderator available during each session to help.
We also keep the Zoom room open for a full hour after every workshop to answer your questions and provide one-on-one support.
At A Glance
Course Details
Information
Workshops
4 sessions
Delivery
Live workshops on Zoom, easy homework on Canvas
Level
Beginner friendly
Cost to you
$120
Tools used
Free AI tools
Helpdesk
1 hr after each class
Get Started
1
Register
Sign up for the AI Essentials Certification course.
Apply Now
2
Set up your tools
A short setup video walks you through creating a free AI account before the course begins. A help wiki and the video are available anytime.
3
Attend and practice
Join the live workshops, try things hands-on, and bring your questions to the Help Desk hour afterward.
4
Put it to work
Leave each session with prompts and habits you can use that same week on real tasks at home or on the job
View the Curriculum
Course Information
Course Fees
$120
Course Dates
Course Dates 2026
Start Date
End Date
Application Deadline
Workshop Days
(Wednesdays)
Workshop Times
(1 hour)
September 7
October 7
September 2,
2026
12 PM MT
September 9, 16, 23 & 30
6 p.m. MT
November 2
December 2
October 28,
2026
12 PM MT
November 4, 11, 18 & 25
6 p.m. MT
Earn this professional certificate in 20 hours (3-5 hours per week over 4 weeks).
What You'll Need
You will need a computer or laptop with a working camera, speakers, and microphone, plus a reliable internet connection. A smartphone is helpful for Workshop 3, since the photo feature works best through the AI tool's mobile app.
The setup video walks you through creating a free AI account before the course starts. No paid subscription is required.
How It's Delivered
The course runs live over Zoom. Each workshop is led by a facilitator, with a moderator managing the chat, sharing links and resources, and taking attendance. Because the workshops are virtual, you can join from anywhere with an internet connection.
We keep the Zoom room open for a full hour after every workshop to answer your questions and help you one-on-one.
Between workshops, you will work through a short set of activities in Canvas: videos to watch, a bit of reading, and some hands-on practice. You set your own pace, as long as you complete each week's work before the next session.
Who It's For?
AI Essentials is for people who want to understand AI and learn how to use it in practical ways.
You might be a small business owner wondering whether AI could save you some time. You might work in agriculture or the trades and wonder whether any of this technology is actually useful to you. You might work from home, manage employees, be looking for a job, or simply want to understand a technology that seems to be showing up everywhere.
You might also be the person who says, "I'm not very good with computers."
That's okay too.
This course isn't designed for programmers or AI experts. It's designed for everyday people who want someone to show them how these tools work and give them a chance to practice.
If you have ever wished you had more hours in the day, AI might be the assistant you have been looking for.
FAQ's about the Course
What can AI actually help me do?
This is one of the first questions we hear from people who are new to AI.
The answer is probably more than you think.
You can take a picture of a broken part and ask AI to help you identify it. You can have it explain a confusing letter in simpler language. You can ask for help writing an email, organizing a messy list, comparing products, planning a trip, creating instructions for an employee, understanding an Excel formula, or researching how to fix something.
Small business owners might use it to write a Facebook post or respond to a customer. Someone looking for a job might use it to improve a resume or prepare for an interview. You might even use it to help plan meals from whatever happens to be in your refrigerator.
And sometimes you'll simply have a question and want help figuring out where to start.
We'll spend a lot of the course actually doing these kinds of things so you can see for yourself what AI is good at and what it isn't.
What if I’ve never used AI before?
If you've never used ChatGPT before, that's okay.
We'll show you how to get started, what to type, and how to ask questions in a way that gives you more useful answers.
One of the things people quickly discover about AI is that the way you ask a question matters. A small amount of additional information can make a big difference in the answer you receive.
You'll practice having a conversation with AI, asking follow-up questions, giving it more information, and telling it when the answer isn't quite what you wanted.
You don't need to learn complicated commands or become an expert at "prompt engineering." We'll teach you a few simple habits that work.
Can AI do more than just answer questions?
Today's AI tools can do much more than answer something you type into a box.
We'll show you how to work with photos, documents, and other files.
For example, you might take a picture of something you don't recognize and ask what it is. You could upload a document and ask AI to explain it in plain language. You could give it a spreadsheet and ask for help understanding the information.
We'll also look at some of the newer ways people are using AI and talk about which features are actually useful for everyday situations.
The goal isn't to show you every AI feature that exists. There are too many, and they're changing all the time. Instead, we want you to understand enough that when you encounter a new AI tool or feature, you'll have a pretty good idea of what to do with it.
Can I trust AI?
Not always.
That's important to understand.
AI can give you an answer that sounds completely confident and still be wrong. It can misunderstand your question, leave out important information, or occasionally make something up.
We'll show you examples of this happening and teach you some practical ways to check important information.
We'll also talk about privacy and what you should and shouldn't share with an AI system.
We aren't going to tell you that AI is perfect, because it isn't. Learning when to use AI, when to double-check it, and when not to use it at all is an important part of using these tools well.
What will I learn in the course?
During AI Essentials, you'll learn how to:
Get started with tools like ChatGPT
Ask better questions and get more useful answers
Use follow-up questions to improve an answer
Use AI to help write, organize, brainstorm, research, and solve problems
Work with photos, documents, and other files
Use AI for practical tasks at home and at work
Recognize when an AI answer may be wrong
Check important information instead of simply trusting the first answer
Protect personal, private, and sensitive information
Keep learning as AI tools continue to change
Most importantly, you'll get a chance to actually use what you're learning.
What is the class like?
We don't want you to spend the course just listening to someone talk about AI.
You'll see demonstrations, try things yourself, ask questions, and practice using AI for real situations.
Classes are taught live online through Zoom. An instructor leads the class while a moderator helps with questions, chat, links, and other resources.
We also know that sometimes you need a little more help after class. That's why the Zoom room stays open for an additional hour after each class. If something didn't make sense, you want help trying something, or you simply have a question, stick around and ask us.
And if you have to miss a class, recordings are available so you can catch up and receive partial attendance credit.
Is it really free to use the AI tools?
Yes. We demonstrate with the free version of tools like ChatGPT, which requires signing up but no payment. The setup video also explains what paying gets you, so you can decide for yourself whether an upgrade is worth it.
Do I have to attend all four live workshops?
Yes, the course is designed to be taken in order, and each session builds on the last. Attendance is tracked in Canvas. If you need to miss a session, please let your facilitator know in advance. You can then watch the recording to receive partial credit for attendance.
Take the mystery out of AI
Reserve your spot in the next AI Essentials course and start putting these tools to work on the things that matter to you.
Register Now
On This Page
The Course
At A Glance
Get Started
Course Information
FAQ's
