The Utah State Board of Education (USBE) is pleased to announce the launch of Gemini for Education in Utah’s public schools, beginning in the 2026-2027 academic year, in partnership with Google. Local education agencies (LEAs) maintain full discretion over whether to implement Google Gemini for Education. The initiative will provide Utah’s approximately 680,000 K–12 students and 28,000 K–12 educators with the option of secure, responsible artificial intelligence (AI) tools designed to assist with personalized instruction and better prepare students for an increasingly digital workforce and world.
The implementation is designed to support educators in developing customized lesson plans and managing administrative tasks, allowing for more time focused on direct student engagement. For students, Gemini will support inquiry-based learning, help generate ideas and explore projects, and provide additional explanations of complex concepts within a secure, school-managed environment.
“Our goal is to ensure students possess the necessary skills to navigate a changing world,” said State Superintendent of Public Instruction Molly Hart. “Local education agencies maintain full discretion over whether to adopt these tools, and for those that choose to do so, this work represents a step toward fulfilling that mission by supporting individual learning journeys and teaching students to interact with AI technology safely, ethically, and responsibly”
The state’s rollout will focus on several key areas of educational support:
- Support for Educators: Educators can utilize the tools to generate lesson plans, develop grading rubrics, and summarize classroom discussions, saving time while improving overall instructional efficiency.
- Customized Learning: The tools help create practice exercises and materials that match the specific learning speed and needs of each student to supplement teacher-led instruction.
- Research and Brainstorming: Students can use the technology as a resource while learning to verify the accuracy and reliability of AI-provided information.
- Digital Citizenship: A specialized curriculum focused on AI literacy will accompany the launch to ensure students understand how to use these tools effectively and ethically.
To support implementation, Google will provide a series of training sessions for educators across the state who opt in to use these tools, both in person and virtually. In addition, Google Career Certificates and AI courses will be available at no cost to students and educators through December 2027, helping build foundational and advanced skills for future academic and workforce success.
The partnership ensures that all interactions with Gemini for Education remain within a secure domain to ensure privacy and security. Under this framework, data and conversations are not used to train AI models, and educational institutions maintain full administrative control over their data.
“In alignment with House Bill 273, we are committed to providing districts with the resources they need to navigate the AI landscape safely and effectively,” said Matt Winters, USBE AI Specialist. “By launching these AI tools, we are helping Local Education Agencies screen software for security and privacy while ensuring they maintain the choice in how or whether to implement these tools within their own communities.”
USBE is committed to creating the conditions for student success. Our vision is that all Utah students graduate prepared to succeed and lead by having the knowledge and skills they need to live meaningful lives.
