By Greg Hart, CEO of Coursera

Today, I’m excited to share that Coursera is partnering with OpenAI to launch ChatGPT Foundations for Teachers, a new course designed to help K–12 educators build practical, real-world skills for using AI to support teaching and learning.

As AI transforms how people learn and work, teachers are on the frontlines of that change. Three in five teachers already use an AI tool — many turning to it to save time, personalize instruction, and support students more effectively. Yet many still lack access to the training and guidance they need to use these tools confidently and responsibly.

ChatGPT Foundations for Teachers offers a hands-on, approachable introduction to using ChatGPT in ways that meaningfully enhance classroom practice. It helps educators understand how ChatGPT works, tailor it to their teaching needs, and apply it to real school and administrative tasks.

The course includes:

• How ChatGPT works: foundational concepts explained clearly and simply
• Personalize ChatGPT: adapting it to support the way you teach 
• Practical classroom applications: examples for lesson planning, student support, and communication
• Responsible use: guidance for safe, ethical, age-appropriate integration of AI

The course is designed to help teachers use AI as a supportive, reliable partner that frees up time, expands creativity, and strengthens student engagement.

Educators are at the heart of our mission, and we’re proud to work with OpenAI to expand learning opportunities for teachers. When educators feel confident using AI, they amplify their impact in the classroom and help millions of students build the digital skills they’ll need in the years ahead.

We’re also excited to partner in OpenAI’s broader efforts to expand access to practical AI skills. As part of that, OpenAI is introducing AI Foundations, a new course designed to help workers across industries build essential, hands-on AI capabilities. Through early pilots with leading employers, universities, and public-sector partners, AI Foundations gives learners a way to practice real tasks directly inside ChatGPT and demonstrate job-ready AI skills. By providing the OpenAI Certified app inside ChatGPT, Coursera delivers an embedded learning environment that brings our best-in-class learning experience seamlessly into ChatGPT. Coursera will also play a critical role in ensuring that the courses and certifications meet high standards for learning design, psychometric rigor, and real-world impact. 

Together, AI Foundations and ChatGPT Foundations for Teachers offer learners and educators multiple on-ramps to build the AI fluency needed in a rapidly changing world.

Click here to enroll in ChatGPT Foundations for Teachers for free and start applying these practices in your classroom today.