For greater than a century, Washington state has punched effectively above its weight. From the primary flights of a world aerospace large to the rise of world-leading expertise corporations and retail corporations, our state has been a launchpad for groundbreaking improvements. Right this moment, as cloud and AI applied sciences reshape the world, Washington stands on the fringe of one other transformation—one that may outline the way forward for work, studying, and alternative.
We imagine the longer term begins right here at house. That’s why we’re investing within the individuals who dwell, be taught, and educate in our personal yard. Our aim? To make sure the state of Washington advantages first from the improvements we’re creating for the world. We wish to be certain that Washington not solely stays a nationwide hub for expertise and entrepreneurship however that our college students are among the many most ready for the roles of tomorrow.
Right this moment, we see a troubling pattern—one that would undermine our shared future. Evaluation of Microsoft knowledge by our AI for Good Lab exhibits a marked disparity in AI use throughout the state. In counties with the very best use of AI alongside the Puget Sound—Snohomish, King, Pierce, and Whatcom—AI is already utilized by greater than 30 % of the inhabitants. Snohomish leads with 35 %. But in seven rural counties in jap Washington, utilization drops effectively under 10 %. Ferry County ranks lowest, with simply 2.5 % of residents utilizing AI—a tenfold hole in comparison with the state’s most related areas. Obtain the complete dataset.
As we’ve discovered firsthand from working for a decade on broadband accessibility throughout the state, this isn’t only a expertise hole; it’s a possibility hole. As a result of in tomorrow’s economic system, those that perceive and use AI will do higher than those that don’t.
Microsoft Elevate Washington: A homegrown dedication
That’s why in the present day we’re launching Microsoft Elevate Washington—an essential new initiative to assist be certain that everybody throughout our house state can entry AI expertise and develop the abilities to make use of it. We don’t declare to have all of the solutions, however we’ve formed this effort in shut collaboration with a broad coalition of voices from throughout Washington. Most significantly, we’re dedicated to working shoulder to shoulder with educators—as a result of they’re the driving pressure behind our shared imaginative and prescient for the longer term.
This new initiative will deliver the world’s most superior AI instruments and coaching freed from cost to each highschool and neighborhood school pupil throughout our state, no matter zip code. That is greater than a program—it’s a promise to Washington’s 100,000 educators and 500,000 highschool and neighborhood school college students. A promise that they are going to be outfitted with the easiest expertise to navigate—and assist form—this new period.
We’re backing this dedication with grants to speed up adoption and innovation, assist for early adopters of AI-powered instructing and studying, {and professional} growth for educators to higher interact college students and lighten administrative workloads.
After we put money into our educators, we put money into our college students. And once we put money into our college students, we put money into the way forward for Washington.
What we’re providing
For college districts and neighborhood schools
Beginning January 2026, we’ll present Copilot Studio to Washington State’s 295 college districts and 34 neighborhood schools freed from cost for as much as three years. This highly effective software permits directors and workers to construct customized AI brokers—no coding required—to assist rework how these districts and neighborhood schools assist studying.
With Copilot Studio, these establishments can use AI and AI brokers to assist streamline scheduling, improve knowledge evaluation, assist college 12 months planning, and assist lecturers plan for courses—enabling sooner, extra knowledgeable decision-making and releasing up time for extra significant pupil engagement.
As well as, Microsoft will present as much as 10 college districts and 10 neighborhood schools with $25,000 in devoted expertise consulting to assist them construct and deploy AI brokers tailor-made to their instructing and office wants. The corporate will then assist these establishments unfold what they be taught to directors and educators throughout the state to jump-start AI experience extra broadly.
For highschool college students (grades 9–12)
Starting July 2026, highschool college students throughout Washington will obtain free entry for as much as three years to Copilot Chat, Microsoft 365 desktop apps, Studying Accelerators, and Groups for Schooling. This may also embrace AI-powered studying experiences grounded in studying science to assist foster essential pondering and engagement and can launch within the coming weeks and months.
These instruments will assist college students construct fluency in AI, increase productiveness, develop digital literacy, and enhance studying outcomes. They’ll assist enhance studying fluency and comprehension and construct essential info literacy. By tailoring suggestions and steerage to every pupil’s tempo and desires, these new AI instruments will assist tutorial development and demanding pondering.
For neighborhood school college students
Microsoft will provide all neighborhood school college students in Washington State 12 months of free utilization of Microsoft 365 Private, together with Copilot integration throughout Phrase, Excel, PowerPoint, Outlook, and OneNote. This provide, obtainable via November 15, 2025, will assist college students handle coursework, collaborate on tasks, and construct digital abilities with AI-powered instruments. This subscription contains one terabyte of OneDrive cloud storage, Microsoft Defender for safety, and inventive instruments, together with Designer for picture modifying.
For educators
Microsoft will assist state schooling businesses to assist present high-quality AI skilled growth to educators and administrative workers. Working with Washington’s Workplace of Superintendent of Public Instruction (OSPI), the Washington Schooling Affiliation (WEA), and the Nationwide Schooling Affiliation (NEA), Microsoft will assist AI coaching applications targeted on streamlining administrative duties and enhancing operational efficiencies.
This initiative will make AI skilled growth obtainable to all 295 public college districts and accessible to all certificated lecturers, tutorial assistants, and administrative workers. The corporate may also assist the state businesses’ AI Innovation Summit—an in-person and digital convention hosted by all Okay–12 businesses—we are going to assist deliver collectively over 1,000 educators, board members, and directors to discover AI adoption, implementation, and finest practices in schooling.
Moreover, we are going to ship Generative AI for Educators coaching and role-based generative AI coaching throughout all 34 neighborhood and technical schools. And we are going to collaborate with the NEA and WEA to strengthen AI readiness amongst their native associates.
We’ll again these efforts with money grants to assist Washington’s Okay-12 faculties and neighborhood schools to assist educators combine AI into their preparation and instruction, in the end enhancing instructing, studying, and effectivity.
Constructing a motion
All this builds on our world July announcement of Microsoft Elevate, a brand new enterprise unit targeted on supporting faculties, schools, and nonprofits with expertise, coaching, and funding. By means of this new initiative, we’ll contribute greater than $4 billion over the subsequent 5 years in money and cloud providers to assist these establishments world wide advance their missions.
We all know that we are able to’t do that alone and that our success would require a statewide motion. That’s why we’re leaning in with state businesses, college districts, and neighborhood organizations to assist us attain each nook of our state.
We’re collaborating with nonprofits like Code.org to deliver the Hour of AI to college students throughout the state, together with rallying our 50,000-plus staff in Washington to guide a workshop that showcases real-world purposes and student-led innovation.
We’re supporting youth growth employees, school and profession navigators, and neighborhood leaders with tailor-made generative AI coaching to assist them serve their communities extra successfully.
And eventually, we’ll launch an open name for innovators to companion with schooling establishments and construct scalable, AI-enabled options that enhance studying and profession readiness. In the event you’re captivated with schooling and expertise, we wish to hear from you.
A permanent dedication to Washington’s future
Microsoft was born in Washington, and our roots run deep. As we glance to the longer term, our dedication is unwavering: to empower each pupil, each educator, and each neighborhood in our state to thrive within the period of AI. Collectively, we are able to construct a future the place Washington leads the nation—and the place each younger particular person rising up in our yard has the prospect to attain extra.
We’re inviting each Washingtonian to affix us on this journey—as a result of the way forward for AI isn’t about machines. It’s about folks. It’s about creativity. It’s about fixing actual issues and increasing alternatives broadly.
