More than 60 educators from six Northern California counties gathered May 18 in Redding for what organizers described as the first regional artificial intelligence training of its kind for North State educators.

Hosted at the Shasta County Office of Education through a partnership between the Small School Districts’ Association, the California Mathematics, Science, and Computer Science (Cal MSCS) Grant, the Shasta County Office of Education, and the Shasta Union High School District, the event focused on helping rural educators integrate artificial intelligence and computer science into everyday classroom instruction.

Throughout the day, teachers and administrators participated in hands-on workshops exploring AI instructional design, computer science integration, and “vibe coding” — using natural language to create digital tools and classroom resources without traditional coding experience.

One featured session, “Beyond the Prompt: AI as Your K–12 Instructional Design Partner,” demonstrated how educators can use AI tools such as Gemini and NotebookLM to identify student misconceptions, differentiate instruction, create formative assessments, and support English learners and special education students.

Educators also explored cross-curricular computer science integration through project-based learning models that connect coding and computational thinking with subjects including math, science, music, history, ELA, and art.

Participant survey responses reflected strong enthusiasm for the practical, hands-on nature of the training. One educator shared that “the introduction to new tools and clear explanation of what makes a strong prompt were very valuable,” while another participant said, “I loved collaborating with all the people in the room and hearing from different presenters, and I learned so much!”

The event also addressed a significant equity challenge facing rural California schools. Small high schools serving fewer than 500 students are 2.5 times less likely to offer computer science courses than larger schools, limiting student access to rapidly growing technology fields.

Organizers emphasized that rural students deserve the same access to AI and computer science opportunities as students in larger urban districts. For many attendees, the training represented not just professional development, but the beginning of a broader regional effort to prepare North State students for the future of education and work.