NA’WI
Nebraska AI Literacy & Workforce Infrastructure Initiative
Bringing AI literacy to all of rural Nebraska through in-person learning, online delivery, and immersive holographic projections and humanoid robots — from the Panhandle to the Sandhills, South-Central, and Northeast.
Nebraska & the AI Knowledge Gap
Roughly 550,000 rural residents are spread across 82 non-metro counties. The 2024 Nebraska Rural Poll revealed a direct knowledge-to-trust connection: Nebraskans who are more informed about AI are significantly more likely to see it serving the public good. That insight is the core premise of NA’WI.
of rural Nebraskans have ever used an AI tool
report being barely or not at all informed about AI
agricultural economy NA'WI helps sustain
unfilled jobs across the state
Making AI accessible, practical, and relevant
NA’WI positions Nebraska as a leader in inclusive AI workforce development. Its training uses a compressed, modular structure that lowers barriers to participation while preserving depth and real-world applicability.
Each module completes within a single half-day session, letting participants engage flexibly while progressing toward a certificate awarded once all modules are finished. The program integrates with a broad ecosystem of statewide partners for recruitment and regional coordination.
From Awareness to Application
Three sessions take participants from basic AI awareness to hands-on use and a real community project. The curriculum aligns with the U.S. Department of Labor AI Literacy Framework and the Long & Magerko AI literacy competencies.
Why AI? When AI?
Large Language Model (LLM) landscape and foundations — what is it and where is it?
Core Activities
- Hands-on demos with everyday AI tools
- Introduction to LLMs and how they work
- Prompt crafting fundamentals
- Myth vs. reality exercises
Outcomes
- Recognize AI already living inside existing tools
- Develop foundational, practical AI skills
- Evaluate everyday claims about AI
Three Ways We Deliver
A year-round program of 4 engagements (1 Spring, 2 Summer, 1 Fall) serving 100–150 participants annually through three complementary delivery modes.
In-Person Workshops
40–60 participants / yearHalf-day workshops at Extension offices, libraries, and community colleges across 3–4 rural regions, with direct hands-on experience and portable tech kits.
Online / Hybrid
40–60 participants / yearLive virtual sessions over Zoom/Teams with Starlink-enabled connectivity kits shipped to community sites, plus asynchronous modules that reach remote western counties.
Proto Hologram + Robots
20–30 participants / yearFour Proto units deployed to community anchors. AI-expert holograms deliver instruction while companion robots facilitate exercises — participants watch AI work in front of them.
Beam a UNO instructor live into any rural community
Holographic devices let an instructor at UNO appear live in a library in Scottsbluff, a community college in North Platte, or an Extension office in Norfolk — simultaneously, with full two-way interaction, while participants watch AI-powered technology working in front of them in their own community space.
Research shows holographic instruction significantly enhances teaching presence, engagement, and co-presence over standard videoconferencing. Over 50 universities now use Proto — including UCF’s “Dr. Hologram” program and a Veterans Health Administration pilot. NA’WI would be the first dedicated to community-based AI literacy in a rural agricultural state.
Larger devices for big classes, compact M2 units for smaller settings.
Humanoid robots facilitate interactive, hands-on exercises.
Powered by Proto holographic units — a one-time, front-loaded investment that keeps serving communities well beyond the grant period.
From 150 Participants to Statewide Reach
A three-year arc that moves NA’WI from grant-funded delivery to permanent integration within Nebraska’s existing education channels.
Foundation
- Deliver 4 engagements across two pilot regions, serving 150 participants
- Recruit and train 10–15 local “AI Champions” via a train-the-trainer model
- Establish baseline metrics with the SNAIL instrument and Nebraska Rural Poll AI module
Expansion
- AI Champions independently deliver sessions, doubling reach to 200–300 participants
- Partner with 4-H Tech Changemakers and FFA chapters for youth-to-adult reverse mentoring
- Integrate micro-credentials (Google AI Essentials, IBM SkillsBuild) for portable validation
Institutionalization
- Embed AI literacy into Nebraska Extension programming (93 counties, 1.5M+ contacts/year)
- Add modules to community college continuing-education catalogs
- Distribute through the Nebraska Library Commission's tech-kit network (270+ libraries)
Four regions, one three-year cycle
Target regions rotate annually across Nebraska’s geography, ensuring the entire state is reached within a three-year cycle. Venues are identified in coordination with the state EPSCoR office — public libraries, community centers, and college classrooms.
A Year-Round Cadence
Four engagements a year on a Spring–Summer–Fall rhythm keep momentum across the state, rotating regions so every corner of Nebraska is reached within a three-year cycle.
Open the year in a host region
Peak outreach across communities
Parallel mobile last-mile coverage
Close with a community project
Serving 100–150 participants annually, building toward 450 rural Nebraskans across the full program.
Built to Last
A central sustainability mechanism is a Learning Object Repository (LOR) maintained by AI-CCORE — reusable instructional assets, hands-on exercises, prompt libraries, assessment instruments, short videos, ethics and cybersecurity modules, datasets, and train-the-trainer materials.
The Proto units, AI licenses, tablets, and portable kits are front-loaded investments, so recurring delivery costs drop sharply after Year 1 — moving NA’WI from grant funding toward permanent integration within Nebraska’s education channels.
Expected Outcomes
- 450 rural Nebraskans complete the full program with measurable gains in AI knowledge and trust
- 10–15 trained AI Champions ready to run sessions independently in their own communities
- A documented curriculum tested across agricultural, healthcare, and small business settings
- Statewide longitudinal data via the 2026 Nebraska Rural Poll AI module
A Statewide Network
NA’WI is built on trusted regional networks, working alongside organizations that reach communities in every corner of Nebraska.
Nebraska Business Development Center
UNO-hosted, with nine service centers spanning the program’s rotation regions — a ready footprint of community hosting sites across the state.
Nebraska Public Power District
An 84-county service area covering essentially all rural Nebraska, with an active STEM education team engaged to support participant outreach and recruitment.
NA’WI also works with Nebraska Extension, FFA, 4-H, library systems, and community colleges — the program is intentionally designed to grow with additional partners as it scales.
Built in partnership with Nebraska EPSCoR
NA’WI builds on the vision and support of Nebraska EPSCoR. We extend our heartfelt thanks to Dr. Matthew Andrews, Director of Nebraska EPSCoR, and the entire Nebraska EPSCoR team for their guidance, partnership, and commitment to expanding opportunity across the state. This initiative would not be possible without their support.
Frequently Asked Questions
AI literacy for every corner of Nebraska
When people understand AI, they gain the confidence to adopt tools that sustain agriculture, improve healthcare access, and address workforce shortages. That’s the promise of NA’WI.
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