AI enablement for your team
A 17-week AI enablement program for mission-driven organizations · Summer – Fall 2026
Ignition is a hands-on program designed to build real AI capability across your organization — no prior experience required. Participants get access to every major AI model, structured learning paths, live workshops, mentoring, and a community of peer organizations — all in one place.
Your team will develop practical AI skills they can apply immediately, build awareness of how AI fits into different roles and workflows, and create working prototypes on real organizational problems. By the end of the program, participants will be more capable with AI, more strategic about where it fits, and better equipped to drive impact at their organizations.
There is no cost to participate.
What's included
The Platform
Every major AI model in one place. No per-seat licensing. Your data is secure, and not used to train AI models.
Self-guided Learning
Three paths from beginner to advanced. Six modules each. Real work, real pace.
Live Workshops
Workshops across the program. Short presentation + open discussion. All recorded.
Mentoring and Support
Drop-in mentoring sessions for technical questions, AI projects, and troubleshooting. Slack community and direct support from the campusGenAI team.
Strategic Leadership Roundtable
Bi-weekly sessions for program leads and organizational decision-makers. AI strategy, data governance, use case identification, and peer discussion on navigating a rapidly changing landscape.
Design Sprint and Closing
An in-person design sprint mid-program and a closing event where participants share outcomes and learn from peers.
Self-guided learning paths
Explore
Use AI Confidently
Anyone new to AI. No prerequisites.
6 modules
- Get comfortable using AI on your actual work
- Learn what different AI models are good at — and where they struggle
- Walk away with techniques you can use every day
Build
Build with AI
Ready to move from using to building. Explore experience helpful.
6 modules
- Design and build a working agent that solves a real problem at your organization
- Test with real users and improve based on what you learn
- Share what you built so other organizations can learn from it
Create
Code with AI
Developers and power users. Build experience ideal.
6 modules
- Build with code, CLI tools, and custom integrations beyond the platform
- Connect AI to your organization's data and systems via APIs and MCPs
- Ship a working tool that goes further than the platform alone can take you
Program timeline
Register your team and get platform access.
Learning paths, workshops, and mentoring go live. The full program team is in place.
Biweekly live workshops and weekly mentoring sessions.
Participants gather in person to accelerate one or more high-impact projects.
Wrap-up event. Participants share what they built, what they learned, and what's next.
Ignition is the founding cohort of campusLaunch, our AI enablement program. It brings together mission-driven organizations across Hampden County — working in education, public health, workforce development, housing, food security, and community services.
FAQ
What’s expected of program leads?
As program lead, you register your team and share the participant code with them. Beyond that, you’re welcome and encouraged as a full participant.
How many people should I register?
Your team works best as a group small enough to actually connect — most are 3 to 15 people. The program posts bi-weekly discussion prompts in your team’s Slack channel, so the more your team engages with each other, the more value everyone gets. Three people engaged together will get more out of this for your organization than 30 people in isolation.
Can my organization have more than one team?
Yes. Submit the registration form once for each team.
What’s the time commitment?
1–2 hours per week across 17 weeks. Self-guided modules take 10–20 minutes. Workshops are optional and recorded.
Can participants switch learning paths?
Yes. Start anywhere, switch anytime.
Is there a cost?
No. There is no cost to participate.
Register your team
One form per team. Takes about five minutes. We'll confirm your registration and be in touch as the program comes together.
Register your team →Questions? campusgenai@umass.edu
Ignition is made up of a diverse group of mission-driven organizations with footprints in Hampden County and across Western Massachusetts. The program exists because of the curiosity, vision, and commitment of The Irene E. & George A. Davis Foundation, the founding organizations who participated in program scoping and development, and the team at the Center for Data Science and AI at UMass Amherst.
Thank you to everyone who worked to get us to launch.
Ignition is part of campusLaunch — the AI enablement program created by the team at the Center for Data Science and AI at UMass Amherst.