The Complete Guide to Using AI in the Education Industry in Winston Salem in 2025

AI matters for Winston‑Salem schools in 2025 because national studies show it's already changing who learns what and how: the 2025 EDUCAUSE AI Landscape Study calls out strategy gaps and a growing “digital AI divide,” while Cengage's 2025 report finds students eager to use GenAI even as many instructors flag academic integrity, bias, and lack of training.

For Winston‑Salem leaders that means treating AI as a tool for personalization and efficiency only when paired with clear district policy, educator professional development, and investments to ensure equitable device and internet access - small choices now will shape classroom practice, hiring needs, and student readiness for the local workforce for years to come.

“Not all kids use it [GenAI] to cheat in school.” - A student

AI in Winston‑Salem classrooms is less a futuristic idea and more a set of practical tools reshaping how teachers plan, grade, and support students: the district is rolling out a six‑part virtual series on basic AI literacy - “What is generative AI? How do we use it ethically?” - as part of professional learning plans to prepare educators for classroom use (WFDD coverage of Winston‑Salem AI professional learning plans), while the state's NCDPI offers a living set of Generative AI recommendations plus a steady calendar of webinars and on‑demand resources to guide responsible implementation across North Carolina schools (NCDPI Generative AI resources for North Carolina schools).

At the same time, local training options - like live, instructor‑led AGI courses that can come on‑site or be taken online - make hands‑on upskilling achievable for teachers and staff (from one‑day Copilot or ChatGPT workshops to multi‑day graphic design and Excel AI classes) so districts can move from policy to practice with confidence (AGI instructor-led AI training in Winston‑Salem).

The net result: when districts pair clear guidance with accessible training and classroom‑focused examples, AI becomes a way to personalize learning and free time for deeper instruction - an approach that protects equity while preparing students for AI‑enabled careers.

“Students know about Generative AI and are intrigued by it.”

Federal guidance in 2025 puts clear guardrails around classroom AI and gives Winston‑Salem schools both permission and responsibility: the U.S. Department of Education's Toolkit for Safe, Ethical, and Equitable AI Integration (a practical 74‑page roadmap) and its inventory of agency AI use cases - from the FSA “Aidan” chatbot that has handled millions of customer interactions to generative‑AI pilots across offices - show the feds are treating AI as a mainstream education tool while insisting on privacy, nondiscrimination, accessibility, and human oversight (U.S. Department of Education AI Toolkit for Safe, Ethical, and Equitable AI Integration and use‑case inventory).

At the same time, the April 2025 White House order on AI education establishes a national Task Force and signals big federal support for AI literacy, teacher training, and competitions that districts can tap into (White House 2025 AI education executive order and national Task Force).

Local impact for Winston‑Salem: districts should align policies with federal civil‑rights and privacy guidance, vet vendors for FERPA/IDEA/accessible design, build transparent opt‑outs and human review processes, and invest in educator PD so federal grant dollars can responsibly fund AI tutors, instructional materials, and career‑readiness tools; civil‑rights advocates also warn districts to watch for bias and deepfake harms so implementation doesn't widen inequities (CDT analysis of the Department of Education AI toolkit and nondiscrimination resources).

Winston‑Salem educators should view the NCDPI guidance as a practical roadmap, not just a policy memo: the Jan. 2024 NCDPI guidebook and living "Generative AI Recommendations and Considerations for PK‑13 Public Schools" package classroom examples, equity guidance, and a short ethical checklist to use EVERY time - EVALUATE, VERIFY, EDIT, REVISE, YOU - so teachers treat AI output as a starting draft that must be checked, adapted, and transparently credited (NCDPI generative AI guidance and guidebook (Jan 2024)).

Districts are explicitly encouraged to build school‑specific policies and pair them with hands‑on supports: NCDPI maintains an AI Resources hub with a Wednesday webinar series, on‑demand recordings, NC AI Summits, and certificates of attendance so Winston‑Salem staff can upskill while documenting PD hours (NCDPI AI Resources hub and webinar series).

The guidance also flags real risks - cheating, student‑data protection, bias, and the limits of AI detectors - so local leaders should pilot tools with transparent opt‑outs, human review, and accessibility checks to ensure features like translation and voice‑to‑text actually expand access rather than introduce new gaps.

“Generative artificial intelligence is playing a growing and significant role in our society. At NCDPI, we're committed to preparing our students both to meet the challenges of this rapidly changing technology and become innovators in the field of computer science.” - State Superintendent Catherine Truitt

What's new for Winston‑Salem teachers is not a single magic app but a small toolkit of practical AI helpers that integrate with the systems districts already use: Microsoft 365 Copilot and Copilot Chat can draft and differentiate lesson plans, generate rubrics, translate IEP language, and even spin up polished PowerPoint decks in a couple of prompts (see the Microsoft 365 Copilot for K–12 overview Microsoft 365 Copilot for K–12 overview); Teams' “Create with Copilot in Classwork” lets educators add AI‑generated lesson plans and flashcards directly to Classwork for assignment and reuse (see the Create with Copilot in Classwork support article Create with Copilot in Classwork support article), and smaller niche tools like online lesson planners promise fast, bilingual templates and handouts that save prep time so teachers can spend more minutes on student coaching (try the Education Copilot bilingual lesson planner Education Copilot bilingual lesson planner).

These options work best when paired with local policy and PD: the vivid payoff is simple - turning a week of prep into extra minutes each day to sit beside a struggling reader and catch that “aha” moment.

“Employees want AI at work - and they won't wait for companies to catch up.”

For Winston‑Salem schools, protecting student data and upholding academic integrity means translating statewide rules into everyday practice: North Carolina's privacy framework - from federal FERPA rights (parents and eligible students can access and amend records and written consent is required before sharing PII) to the state's Student Online Privacy protections - forbids targeted advertising, limits the creation of student profiles, and even requires operators to delete covered information within 45 days at a school's request (NCDPI student data privacy resources and guidance; North Carolina statute §115C‑401.2 on student online privacy protections).

District leaders should treat those legal limits as both a privacy shield and a bias safeguard: vet vendors for compliance (no sale or profiling of student data), require the DPI confidentiality agreement and up‑to‑date security assessments (FedRAMP, ISO, or equivalent), and document parental notices and opt‑outs so adaptive AI tools don't inadvertently amplify inequities.

NCDPI's new vendor readiness and data security steps, which tighten what third‑party platforms must show before receiving student information, turn procurement into a frontline defense against misuse (overview of North Carolina vendor security standards for student information).

Simple, enforceable practices - clear consent language, deletion timelines, human review of AI outputs, and routine audits - protect privacy, reduce bias risk, and keep academic integrity intact so teachers can use AI tools without sacrificing students' rights.

Getting started with AI in Winston‑Salem is a stairway of practical options: for quick, classroom‑ready skills the American Graphics Institute runs live, instructor‑led one‑day workshops (Copilot, ChatGPT, Excel AI) and multi‑day courses like their AI Graphic Design class - many local sessions are offered online or on‑site and public one‑day classes are typically $295 while two‑day design workshops run about $895 (see American Graphics Institute AI classes in Winston‑Salem for dates and formats: American Graphics Institute AI classes in Winston‑Salem).

For deeper workforce or district upskilling, NC State's AI Academy is a structured pathway - four courses over roughly 40 weeks with industry‑recognized certificates (program specifics and pricing detail are available from NC State AI Academy program specifics: NC State AI Academy program specifics), while high school students can get an immersive, residential experience at Wake Forest's AI Institute (a Sunday‑to‑Friday overnight program focused on hands‑on AI, ethics, and projects - tuition listed on the Wake Forest AI Institute program page: Wake Forest AI Institute program page).

A sensible local pathway: start with a one‑day Copilot or ChatGPT workshop to gain immediate classroom wins, then stack credentials with longer cohorts or summer institutes - the payoff can be as tangible as turning an hour of lesson prep into minutes spent beside a student during their “aha” moment.

Provider - Program - Format - Typical Cost - Duration
American Graphics Institute (AGI) - Copilot / ChatGPT / Excel AI - Live instructor-led (online or on-site) - $295 - One day
American Graphics Institute (AGI) - AI Graphic Design Course - Live instructor-led (online) - $895 - Two days
Wake Forest University - Artificial Intelligence Institute (High School) - On‑campus, overnight - $3,400 - Sunday–Friday
NC State AI Academy - AI Academy (workforce) - Live online cohorts - $7,000 - ~40 weeks (4 courses)

Expect 2025 to feel like a pilot year for AI in Winston‑Salem classrooms: district and state guidance will push local pilots from policy into practice, while higher‑education partners like Winston‑Salem State University - now tapped for the AAC&U Institute on AI, Pedagogy and the Curriculum - will help seed equity‑focused curriculum and faculty development across the region (Winston‑Salem State University joins the AAC&U Institute on AI for Student Success).

On the K–12 side, NCDPI's pragmatic stance that AI can free teachers to teach more (by automating routine grading and workflow) means more classrooms will trial AI tutors, adaptive learning paths, and bilingual supports that aim to reach diverse learners (North Carolina Department of Public Instruction guidance on AI in public schools).

National and vendor studies back the local promise: AI‑driven personalized learning and on‑demand tutors can boost engagement and cut prep time, so 2025 trends will emphasize targeted pilots, clear opt‑outs, and measurable outcomes rather than wholesale rollouts (2025 AI in education statistics and research on personalized learning).

The vivid payoff to watch for in Winston‑Salem: instead of a whole class moving at one pace, individual dashboards and AI nudges will let teachers steal back minutes each day to sit beside a struggling reader and catch that “aha” moment in real time.

“Artificial intelligence will define not only the future of our workforce, but also how we live and learn.” - WSSU Chancellor Bonita J. Brown

Adopting AI in Winston‑Salem schools is as much about smart buying and steady follow‑through as it is about the technology itself: start with SREB's phased approach - design, procurement, implementation, and evaluation - to define clear instructional needs, form a multi‑stakeholder team, and run short pilots before district‑wide rollouts; the free SREB SREB AI Tool Procurement, Implementation and Evaluation Checklist offers practical vendor questions and a downloadable tracker to keep decisions transparent and defensible.

Procurement should account for total cost of ownership (licenses, training, integration, cybersecurity) and guard against product lock‑in by preferring open standards, while contracts must spell out data ownership, deletion timelines and third‑party audits to stay FERPA/COPPA‑compliant.

Implementation is a training and change‑management play - expect to invest in ongoing PD, embedded coaching, and time for teachers to trial tools - then evaluate with mixed measures (usage, student outcomes, teacher feedback) so modest pilots can scale only when they clearly improve instruction.

Think of it as buying a partner, not a gadget: insist on vendor transparency, pilot metrics, and multi‑year funding plans so an IEP assistant becomes a practical time‑saver for special‑ed teams rather than an untracked expense.

“SREB's guidance underscores that AI should be viewed as a partner - not a replacement - for teachers.” - SREB President Stephen L. Pruitt

Next steps for Winston‑Salem educators and leaders are practical and local: prioritize short, hands‑on professional learning (start with a one‑day Copilot or ChatGPT workshop offered by the American Graphics Institute to get quick classroom wins AGI Copilot and ChatGPT workshop in Winston‑Salem), lean on regional partnerships (tap WSSU's AAC&U work to build equity‑centered curriculum and faculty capacity WSSU selection for AAC&U AI for Student Success), and create stacked learning pathways so classroom teachers can move from short workshops to deeper, creditable training.

District procurement and pilot plans should tie tools to measurable outcomes and NCDPI/NCBOLD PD opportunities, while workforce and staff development can use multi‑week options like Nucamp's 15‑week AI Essentials for Work bootcamp to teach prompt writing, tool selection, and applied AI skills for school operations and career pathways (Enroll in Nucamp AI Essentials for Work bootcamp).

With clear opt‑outs, human review, and staged pilots, Winston‑Salem can protect privacy and equity while giving teachers time back for the students who need them most.

“Artificial intelligence will define not only the future of our workforce, but also how we live and learn.” - WSSU Chancellor Bonita J. Brown