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WEST WINDSOR, NJ – New Jersey’s 18 community colleges are getting a new statewide framework for AI education — one that spans faculty training, institutional capacity, and hands-on student experience.
The New Jersey AI Hub and the New Jersey Council of County Colleges (NJCCC) announced AI Ready NJ in West Windsor Monday, a partnership backed by Microsoft TechSpark as part of Microsoft’s contribution to the NJ AI Hub, a public-private initiative founded by Princeton University, the New Jersey Economic Development Authority, Microsoft, and CoreWeave.
The initiative focuses on three priorities: helping faculty integrate AI into their teaching, building institutional capacity for AI education, and expanding applied learning opportunities tied to real employer needs.
“Community colleges are on the front lines of helping students and workers adapt to technological change,” said Liat Krawczyk, executive director of the NJ AI Hub. “AI Ready NJ gives colleges a practical way to build capacity together — supporting faculty as they test new approaches, helping students gain applied experience, and creating stronger feedback loops with employers to learn about the required skills and use cases emerging in real time.”
A faculty mini-grant program will provide microgrants to up to 100 faculty across the state to explore how AI can be incorporated into courses, assignments, and assessments. NJCCC will administer the grant process and help build communities of practice where faculty can share findings.
“Community college faculty are already asking some of the most important questions about AI and learning,” said Linda Scherr, NJCCC chief academic officer. “This partnership gives faculty and colleges support to work through those questions together.”
AI Ready NJ will also pilot what organizers expect to be the nation’s first fully AI-focused Sprinternships™ model through Break Through Tech, a national organization founded by Dr. Judith Spitz, former Verizon chief information officer. The short, paid micro-internships place students in teams working on real business challenges developed by employer partners.
“New Jersey’s community college students have the talent,” said Dr. Spitz. “Break Through Tech’s Sprinternship program gives them the opportunity to apply it — through real, employer-embedded work-based learning that signals to hiring managers what a transcript cannot.”
Gov. Mikie Sherrill called the initiative part of a broader effort to position New Jersey as a leader in the AI economy. “By investing in people and institutions alike, we are making sure New Jersey is ready to lead in the industries of the future,” she said.
CoreWeave Senior Vice President Corey Sanders highlighted the company’s local roots. “CoreWeave was started in New Jersey, is headquartered in New Jersey, and remains deeply committed to New Jersey’s future,” Sanders said. “AI Ready NJ reflects our belief that workforce development is essential.”
Princeton University Vice President and Secretary Hilary Parker said the partnership advances two of the university’s highest strategic priorities, noting it builds “on strong and growing partnerships across academia, government, industry, and the non-profit sector.”
Employers interested in hosting AI-focused student projects and faculty interested in mini-grant opportunities can find more information through the NJ AI Hub and NJCCC.
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