2026 National Summit on Artificial Intelligence

From October 14 to 16, educators from across the country gathered at Chandler-Gilbert Community College to turn applied AI into classroom practice. Featured sessions, hands-on faculty trainings, and student demos explored how community colleges prepare students for an AI-shaped workforce.

Tracks

350+

Attendees

Speakers

40+

Panels & Sessions

Faculty Trained

Student Demos

Experience the Momentum

Take a look at the conversations, collaborations and energy that defined the 2026 National Summit on Artificial Intelligence at Chandler-Gilbert Community College

Featured Sessions

Speaker at a podium in front of an Advancing AI in Arizona banner during the summit.

Keynote: Richard A. Lisa

Intel’s Richard A. Lisa, General Manager of Worldwide Public Sector Strategy, delivered the keynote address.

Artificial Intelligence Leaders Panel

Valerie Jones of Maricopa Community Colleges moderated a panel of leaders from Dell Technologies, Cisco, Lenovo, Intel, Microsoft, and Oracle.

Building AI-Forward Pathways

Researchers from Virginia Tech and Arizona State University joined NAAIC’s Dr. Amy Rubinson to share findings from a national NAAIC study on how colleges are building AI curriculum, certificates, and policy responses.

Attendees in a classroom listening to the MIT PATH panel.

MIT PATH: Community Colleges Out Front

Panelists from MIT and Georgia State University showed how community colleges can fold PATH modules into existing courses and move industry-aligned AI skills to students faster.

Preparing the Workforce for AI

Sergio Galeano of the Federal Reserve Bank of Atlanta used labor-market data and interviews with college, workforce, and industry leaders to show how colleges are identifying emerging AI skill needs.

When AI Can Build It, What Should We Teach?

Chandler-Gilbert Community College’s Habib Matar used a hypothetical fallen-person detection system to show how fast students can prototype AI and which math and software engineering foundations turn a prototype into a product.

Presenter in front of a projected slide during the From Ethics to Audit session.

From Ethics to Audit: Mapping AI Governance into Degree Programs

Matthew Green of Waukesha County Technical College showed how to build the NIST AI Risk Management Framework’s four functions (Govern, Map, Measure, and Manage) into computer science and business courses so graduates arrive audit-ready.

Stuart Preston speaking with participants during the Staying Human in an Automated World session.

Don’t Lose Yourself to AI: Staying Human in an Automated World

Stuart Preston of Cingularis guided participants through story and reflection to set personal and team guidelines for AI use, deciding which tasks to automate and which to keep human.

Faculty seated at tables during the REAL Test assessment design workshop.

The REAL Test: Designing AI-Resistant Assessments

Nancy Miller of Forsyth Technical Community College led participants through the REAL Test framework (Real-world context, Evidence of thinking, Adaptive complexity, and Learner accountability) to redesign their own assessments for the generative AI era.

Faculty working on laptops during the AI-Powered Pivot curriculum lab.

The AI-Powered Pivot: A Hands-on Lab for Redesigning Curriculum

Ron Larson of Tallahassee State College shared how Gemini and Copilot helped overhaul an Intermediate C++ course, then led faculty through a hands-on lab prototyping redesigns of their own assignments.

Faculty at computer workstations during the Intel Agentic AI training.

Intel Agentic AI in Higher Education

Faculty from NAAIC-mentored colleges worked through Intel’s Introduction to Agentic AI curriculum and mapped responsible AI principles to classroom instruction and student career pathways.

Microsoft Azure AI-901 Exam Preparation

NAAIC mentees prepared for the Microsoft Azure AI Fundamentals exam in a session led by a Microsoft Certified Trainer, covering responsible AI and building generative AI applications on Azure AI Foundry.

Student Showcase

Students presented 7 applied AI projects at the Student Showcase, giving attendees a close look at what community college learners are building.

Two students from the City Colleges of Chicago IT Club presenting a machine learning demo on a projected screen.

Demystifying Machine Learning

Students from the City Colleges of Chicago IT Club at Wilbur Wright College built predictive models on the Titanic and Loan Approval datasets, then tested them live on new data in front of attendees.

Photo Gallery

Attendees at round tables in an aircraft hangar during the summit reception at Williams Campus.

Attendee working on a laptop during a session at Chandler-Gilbert Community College.

Attendees networking at sunset in an aircraft hangar during the summit reception.

Participants at classroom tables during the Staying Human in an Automated World session.

Two students from the City Colleges of Chicago IT Club presenting a machine learning demo.

What Attendees Are Saying

“What a fantastic event, thank you! I especially love the sessions, and how it helps me network and stay in the loop.”

John Agar

Academic Specialist in Computer Science
Union College of Union County, NJ

“Thank you so much! I really appreciate how smooth the event experience has been, and I’m learning a lot.”

Doug Hampton

Chairperson/Associate Professor, Information Technology
Sinclair Community College

“The NAAIC AI Summit was incredibly energizing! I always learn so much from community college practitioners and industry leaders, and it was inspiring to see so many people dedicated to advancing AI capacity in community colleges. The collective commitment to supporting these institutions and the students they serve left me feeling hopeful about what comes next.”

Sarah L. Rodriguez, Ph.D.

Associate Professor
Virginia Tech | Engineering Education

“Presenting on AI in healthcare education at the NAAIC Summit in Arizona was an incredibly rewarding experience. The opportunity to network with educators, industry leaders, and AI innovators from across the country was truly priceless. Sharing the innovative work taking place at Miami Dade College Medical Campus, while learning from others, reinforced the power of collaboration in preparing the next generation of healthcare professionals. It was an inspiring experience that highlighted the tremendous potential of AI to transform healthcare education and workforce development.”

Donna Fishkin

Assistant Professor, Health Science
Miami Dade College