AI Microcredentials NEXT GEN 2026: Choose Your Path
Empowering Independent School Leaders, Educators & Administrators
Artificial Intelligence is no longer a future skill. It is now core professional literacy.
In partnership with Future Design School, CIS Ontario presents an online, reimagined, modular AI microcredential program designed for independent school professionals who want to move beyond experimentation to confident, strategic use.
This is not a one-size-fits-all program.
This is a choose-your-own-pathway into meaningful, responsible, school-ready AI practice.
Why “Choose Your Path” Is Different
Our 2026 program is built around three principles:
Agency: Start with the Foundational Core or jump directly into advanced levels where your learning edge actually is.
Role Specific Growth: Distinct pathways for Educators and School Operations, with opportunities to cross streams.
Non-Linear Design: Already fluent in AI basics? Skip what you know. Focus on what will move your work forward now.
PHASE 1: THE FOUNDATIONAL CORE
Essential for all new participants to establish "AI Fluency."
Level 1: The Art of Prompting
- The Goal: Move from basic search queries to "Co-Engineering" with AI.
- What you’ll do: Master the P-R-C-R (Purpose-Role-Context-Result) framework. Educators design instant lesson hooks and rubrics; Operations staff automate high-stakes communications and reports.
- Tuesday, Apr 21, 2026, 3:45 pm – 5:45 pm EST.
Level 2: The AI Ecosystem & Productivity
- The Goal: Navigate the "Big Two" (Copilot and Gemini) and specialized niche tools.
- What you’ll do: Build a personalized "AI Toolkit." Examine your own professional workflows and determine exactly when, where and how AI can streamline your work and improve outputs.
- Tuesday, Apr 28, 2026, 3:45 pm – 5:45 pm EST.
Level 3: Harnessing Custom LLMs
- The Goal: Train AI on your specific school data and pedagogical standards.
- What you’ll do: Deploy a "Private Knowledge Assistant." Educators build a tutor trained on their curriculum; Operations staff build a "Policy Bot" trained on school handbooks and HR guidelines.
- Tuesday, May 5, 2026, 3:45 pm – 5:45 pm EST.
PHASE 2: APPLIED PATHWAYS
Select the track that aligns with your professional impact.
| STREAM A: EDUCATORS | STREAM B: OPERATIONS |
|---|---|
| Level 4: AI Tutors & Personalized Coaching Build Socratic AI tutors that guide students through inquiry without giving away answers. Monitor student progress in real time. Tuesday, May 12, 2026, 3:45 pm – 5:45 pm EST. |
Level 4: Strategic Workflows & Automation Eliminate "thankless tasks." Build automated agents for FAQs, data processing, and communications. Manage your task list and inbox with the help of AI. Tuesday, May 12, 2026, 3:45 pm – 5:45 pm EST. |
| Level 5: AI Literacy & Constructive Doubt Teach students to "Audit the Algorithm." Design lessons that identify bias and teach critical evaluation of AI outputs. Tuesday, May 19, 2026, 3:45 pm – 5:45 pm EST. |
Level 5: AI for Data Analytics & Insights Move from data entry to data strategy. Leverage specific data from your role AI to forecast trends and improve insights. Tuesday, May 19, 2026, 3:45 pm – 5:45 pm EST. |
| Level 6: The Future of Assessment Solve the integrity crisis. Pivot to Journey-Based Assessment that evaluates student thinking throughout the learning process. Tuesday, May 26, 2026, 3:45 pm – 5:45 pm EST. |
Level 6: Polished Digital Products & Apps The Zero-Code Revolution. Build custom departmental apps and interactive experiences without needing IT support. Tuesday, May 26, 2026, 3:45 pm – 5:45 pm EST. |
PHASE 3: THE MASTERY CAPSTONE
Levels 7 & 8 (New for 2026 - 2 Sessions of 2 hours each)
Level 7: Institutional Innovation & Ethics
- Educators: Design a program to develop an AI-literate graduate and/or a whole school strategy for student-led AI usage.
Thursday, May 28, 2026, 3:45 pm – 5:45 pm EST. - Operations: Create an Institutional AI Roadmap focusing on AI governance, data privacy (PII) and change management.
Thursday, May 28, 2026, 3:45 pm – 5:45 pm EST.
Level 8: Implementation Studio & Pilot Launch.
- Educators: Build a 90-day pilot plan to launch your AI Literate Graduate framework and/or student AI usage strategy, including success metrics, staff enablement, student guidance and a presentation-ready proposal for senior leadership.
Thursday, June 4, 2026, 3:45 pm – 5:45 pm EST. - Operations: Operationalize your Institutional AI Roadmap into an actionable rollout plan with governance protocols, PII safeguards, staff training structures, adoption metrics and a leadership ready implementation package.
Thursday, June 4, 2026, 3:45 pm – 5:45 pm EST.
Which Track is Right for You?
The Foundation Track:
New to AI? Start at Level 1 and progress at your own pace.
The Alumni Track:
Completed Levels 1–4 last year? Have you attended AI professional development with FDS at your school? Jump straight into the specialization options to stay at the cutting edge.
The Targeted Jump In Track:
Expert in the basics, but have a specific goal? Select the exact level that solves your current professional challenge.
The Explorer Track:
A hybrid role? Mix and match levels from both streams (e.g., an Academic Dean taking "Assessment" and "Data Analytics").
Program Details
- Format: Fully ONLINE via Zoom.
- Time: 3:45 p.m. – 5:45 p.m. EST.
- Eligibility: Exclusively for employees of CIS Ontario member schools and CAIS member schools.
- Credentialing: Digital badges are awarded for each Level completed, culminating in a Mastery Certificate upon completion of a full stream.
- Cost: $250 per Microcredential, billed back to your school
Unlock Your Future-Ready AI Skills 🔑
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