Advancing Student and Collaborative Educator Networks for Digital AI Integration
Advancing
Student and Collaborative Educator Networks for Digital AI Integration
ASCEND-AI is a four-year, $4 million FIPSE-funded initiative designed to build sustainable AI literacy capacity at Historically Black Colleges and Universities through faculty development, student programming, and inter-institutional collaboration.
Advancing AI Literacy Across the HBCU Network
A collaborative initiative among Howard University (lead), Bowie State University (co-lead) to prepare faculty and postsecondary students for an AI-integrated workforce.
Advancing AI Literacy Across the HBCU Network
A collaborative initiative among Howard University (lead), Bowie State University (co-lead) to prepare faculty and postsecondary students for an AI-integrated workforce.
Reciprocal Capacity Building
Bridging the Gap in AI Literacy & Research
The ASCEND-AI initiative operationalizes a Reciprocal Capacity Building Framework grounded in communities of practice theory (Wenger, 1998), constructivist learning principles, and evidence-based instructional design.
Through this framework, Howard University and Bowie State University leverage complementary institutional strengths to address the AI literacy gap, metacognitive risk, retention disconnect, and cross-disciplinary divide by building interconnected AI competent communities that scale AI literacy across disciplines, institutions, and educational levels.
Reciprocal Capacity Building
Bridging the Gap in AI Literacy & Research
The ASCEND-AI initiative operationalizes a Reciprocal Capacity Building Framework grounded in communities of practice theory (Wenger, 1998), constructivist learning principles, and evidence-based instructional design.
Through this framework, Howard University and Bowie State University leverage complementary institutional strengths to address the AI literacy gap, metacognitive risk, retention disconnect, and cross-disciplinary divide by building interconnected AI competent communities that scale AI literacy across disciplines, institutions, and educational levels.
Strategic Objectives
Three Pillars of Transformation
AI Literacy and Workforce Development
Developing five core AI literacy modules that cover foundational concepts, responsible AI use, AI-generated content, discipline-specific applications, and innovation, equipping more than 40 faculty annually and expanding opportunities for 400+ students.
Sustainable Institutional Capacity
Building sustainable institutional infrastructure through Faculty Learning Communities, LMS integration, enterprise AI platforms, and assessment frameworks to sustain AI literacy beyond the grant period.
Collaborative Ecosystem
Establishing a collaborative ecosystem across postsecondary and secondary education through the Howard University, Bowie State University, and Local Educational Agency partnership, with planned workshops, AI use competitions, and pathway programs to prepare future learners and leaders.
Strategic Objectives
Three Pillars of Transformation
AI Literacy and Workforce Development
Developing five core AI literacy modules that cover foundational concepts, responsible AI use, AI-generated content, discipline-specific applications, and innovation, equipping more than 40 faculty annually and expanding opportunities for 400+ students.
Sustainable Institutional Capacity
Building sustainable institutional infrastructure through Faculty Learning Communities, LMS integration, enterprise AI platforms, and assessment frameworks to sustain AI literacy beyond the grant period.
Collaborative Ecosystem
Establishing a collaborative ecosystem across postsecondary and secondary education through the Howard University, Bowie State University, and Local Educational Agency partnership, with planned workshops, AI use competitions, and pathway programs to prepare future learners and leaders.