The proposed initiative aims to promote broader engagement in data science and artificial intelligence by encouraging the integration of a research-based Generation AI (GenAI) curriculum within community colleges. The GenAI curriculum encompasses interdisciplinary modules, data sets, and educational content relevant to data science, computer science, and artificial intelligence. Community colleges, being vital conduits to a substantial student demographic (as evidenced by 40% of first-time college freshmen commencing their post-secondary education at these institutions), present an opportune environment for enhancing student diversity and, consequently, diversifying the workforce in data science, computer science, and AI.

The GenAI team affiliated with a research-intensive university (R1) endeavors to develop and implement instructor training and curriculum development workshops tailored for community college faculty. Through collaboration, GenAI and community college faculty will establish faculty learning communities, fostering the creation of novel modules and distinctive instructional materials that will seamlessly integrate into the established computer science and data science curricula. At this nascent stage of the project, our team is eager to receive valuable input regarding potential theoretical frameworks, exploration of pertinent existing approaches, and expressions of interest for collaboration, all of which are pivotal in shaping the design and successful implementation of this initiative.