NAAIC is partnering with Oracle to expand access to AI, cloud computing, and industry-relevant technology education at community colleges nationwide. Through this collaboration, faculty and students will gain access to free educational resources, hands-on learning opportunities, and professional training designed to strengthen technical skills and prepare students for careers in an increasingly AI-driven workforce. 

Oracle Academy: Bringing Emerging Technology into the Classroom

Oracle Academy provides educators with free curriculum, hands-on labs, software, cloud learning resources, and instructional support to integrate emerging technologies into academic programs. Courses and learning materials cover AI, machine learning, data science, databases, Java programming, and cloud technologies. Faculty can also access professional development opportunities and a global community of educators to support industry-aligned instruction. 

Through projects, labs, and real-world scenarios, students can develop technical and problem-solving skills that connect classroom learning with workforce needs. 

Oracle Cloud Free: Building Skills Through Hands-On Experience

Oracle Cloud Free enables educators and students to build, text, and deploy applications using Oracle Cloud Infrastructure (OCI) at no cost. Through Always Free service, users can access cloud technologies including compute, storage, databases, networking, and AI services. These tools allow students to develop could-native applications, experiment with data analytics, and explore generative AI capabilities using enterprise-grade infrastructure. 

For faculty, Oracle Cloud Free provides opportunities to incorporate practical technology experiences into coursework while helping students build skills relevant to today’s workforce. 

Oracle University: Free Training and Certifications

Oracle University offers free training and no-cost certifications to help educators and students develop and validate their technical expertise. Learning opportunities span Oracle Cloud Infrastructure, AI, Agentic AI, Oracle AI Database, Oracle APEX, Oracle AI Agent Studio, and cloud architecture, including a dedicated cloud architect learning path. Together with Oracle Academy and Oracle Cloud Free, these resources help bridge the gap between classroom learning and workforce readiness by connecting technical education with hands-on experience and professional credentials. 

“Applied AI is learned by doing, and this partnership puts the tools to do it in every faculty member’s hands at no cost. Students can build real projects on Oracle Cloud, earn certifications, and walk into the job market with experience to point to. We’re excited to bring these resources to colleges across our network,” said Cynthia Pereda, Director at NAAIC. 

Through this partnership, NAAIC continues its mission to expand access to applied AI education by equipping community college faculty with resources to teach emerging technologies and prepare students for careers in AI and cloud computing. 

“At Oracle, we believe the future of AI will be shaped not only by technological innovation, but by the people empowered to put it to work. We are incredibly excited to partner with the National Applied AI Consortium to expand access to AI education, equip educators with industry-relevant skills, and help prepare the next generation of innovators,” Pamela Snyder, Group Vice President of Higher Education at Oracle explains. “Community colleges play a critical role in connecting education to workforce opportunity, and together with NAAIC, we look forward to helping institutions bridge the AI skills gap, accelerate innovation, and create meaningful career pathways for students across the country.”

Info Session

To introduce the partnership and share how institutions can get involved with Oracle's resources, NAAIC will host an information session on December 10, 2026, from 12-1 P.M. EST.

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Learn more about the NAAIC and Oracle partnership here!