Intro to AI Adult Education Course
Polson School District · 2024–Present
The Situation
Polson School District's Adult Education program allows teachers and community members to propose and teach continuing education courses for local adults. In 2024, Connor proposed and launched an AI literacy course — one of the first of its kind in the program — in response to growing community curiosity about AI tools and a lack of accessible, non-intimidating entry points for adults with no technical background. Community interest kept it running each year since.
What I Did
A custom-built, 8-session AI literacy course covering how AI actually works, hands-on tool exploration, generative media, AI customization, and a forward-looking capstone on AI and the future of work. Each 90-minute session split between whole-group instruction and tiered independent work tasks — three difficulty levels so every participant could engage at their own pace, no grades, no required deliverables.
Course materials were hosted at learning.connormulvaney.com, built and maintained alongside the curriculum.
The curriculum was developed collaboratively with participants — topics were shaped by what the group found interesting and relevant, making each cohort's experience distinct. Conversations ranged from AI in healthcare and legal research to music generation and spreadsheet automation.
Outcomes
Data reflects survey respondents from the Spring 2026 cohort of approximately 20 participants.
Participants planned to apply AI across communication, research, creative projects, and work tasks. Alumni surveyed months after the course reported still using AI tools weekly.
What They Said
“ChatGPT literally saved me hours on my gardening spreadsheet. I could not believe it.”
— Community member, retired teacher
“I learned so much and gained a lot of practical knowledge. It helped me feel much more comfortable using AI — rather than feeling intimidated by the so-called 'AI doom' scenario.”
— Taryn Harrison, Travel Specialist
“I never felt like you talked down to me or made me feel inferior for not knowing anything about AI.”
— Community member, retired teacher
Interested in bringing this to your community?
Whether it's a school district, library, or community organization — I'd love to talk about what's possible.
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