New Jersey Department of Education Announces Grant Awards to Support Artificial Intelligence in Education

The New Jersey Department of Education recently announced the award details of two grants to foster the use of artificial intelligence in school districts and county vocational schools throughout the state.

Gov. Phil Murphy’s fiscal year 2025 budget appropriated $1.5 million across two grants to fund AI education in K-12 classrooms and develop new career and technical education programs targeted to AI. The “Artificial Intelligence Innovation in Education Grant” will support initiatives in 10 school districts to advance the role of AI in the classroom; the “Expanding Career Pathways in Artificial Intelligence Grant,” will support two county vocational school districts to expand students’ knowledge and skills on how computers and software mimic human learning, reasoning and motor skills.

“In New Jersey, we are committed to building up our innovation economy and investing in the next generation of tech leaders,” Murphy said. “By giving our students the tools necessary to engage with AI, we are ensuring our state will remain a national leader in cutting-edge technological advancements and innovations for years to come. I look forward to seeing what these grant recipients are able to accomplish.” 

“The school districts receiving these grants are at the forefront of the future of education,” said Acting Education Commissioner Kevin Dehmer. “By embracing AI, they are preparing students to excel in a workforce that increasingly requires a deep understanding of how to leverage this technology. These programs are an important step toward ensuring that our classrooms not only integrate the latest technologies but also nurture the critical thinking and ethical understanding needed to thrive in the age of AI.”

“New Jersey’s public schools have long set the standard for educational excellence, and these AI Innovation grants represent our next step forward,” said Beth Simone Noveck, New Jersey state chief AI strategist. “By thoughtfully integrating AI literacy and tools into our classrooms, we’re democratizing access to these transformative technologies while preparing our next generation of leaders. Together, these grant programs will help us navigate technological AI advancements and support the development of best practices for responsible AI use in education that can benefit schools across our state, ensuring every New Jersey student has the opportunity to shape our AI-enabled future.”

Artificial Intelligence Innovation in Education Grant

This grant will enable the development of new programs under two key areas: “Teaching with AI” and “Teaching about AI.” The “Teaching with AI” component will support initiatives such as pilot programs using generative AI tools to enhance instructional practices, including the development of individualized tutoring, data analysis to improve instruction, and teacher training in AI integration. The “Teaching about AI” component will focus on creating innovative curricula to promote AI literacy among students, including lessons on AI ethics and societal impacts; establishing AI-focused makerspaces to allow students to work together on projects and share ideas; and fostering AI-driven project-based learning opportunities.

Award recipients and amounts are as follows:

The Artificial Intelligence Innovation in Education Grant was open exclusively to New Jersey local educational agencies with at least one high school with grades 9-12 and an existing advisory committee overseeing AI integration in the curriculum.

Expanding Career Pathways in Artificial Intelligence Grant

This grant is designed to expand CTE students’ knowledge and skills on how computers and software mimic human learning, reasoning and motor skills. Two vocational-technical school districts will create, develop and publish a cutting-edge AI and robotics CTE curriculum based on innovative principles for teaching and learning AI.

Award recipients and amounts are as follows:

The CTE students in these schools will learn about computing theory, cybernetics, human factors, natural language processing and their applications to engineering and technology. Additionally, CTE students will be better equipped to navigate and participate in technological AI advancements, understand how AI processes data to make decisions and identify AI’s limitations and potential biases through hands-on experiences.

Both grants run until Jan. 31, 2026.

For more information on the grants and AI in education, visit the NJDOE’s Office of Innovation AI webpage.