The new grant opportunity will award up to $50,000 to eligible school districts, educational service agencies, charter organizations, and nonprofits.

SAN FRANCISCO, May 1, 2026 /PRNewswire/ — The AI Education Project (aiEDU) is pleased to announce the third cycle of its 2026 Community Catalyst Program, a national grant opportunity designed to help build meaningful AI literacy through educator capacity, with a particular focus on supporting organizations serving rural communities and Indigenous communities.

The program will provide $25,000 grants and $50,000 grants to school districts, educational service agencies, charter organizations, and nonprofit organizations working to prepare educators and students for the realities of AI in teaching and learning. Applications opened May 1, 2026 and Letters of Intent are due May 21. Final awards will be announced on July 3, 2026.

“AI-readiness is strongest when communities of every size and geography help shape it from the start,” said Emma Doggett Neergaard, Chief Programs Officer at aiEDU. “Our Community Catalyst Program is intentionally designed to help rural and Indigenous communities lead this work in ways that reflect their students, their educators, and their future.”

In 2025, the Community Catalyst Program extended this work across the U.S., supporting 21 organizations, reaching more than 4,100 Indigenous and rural educators — a 71 percent increase over 2024 — and impacting more than 213,000 Indigenous and rural students, nearly ten times the number reached the previous year, through locally led AI-readiness initiatives. The program also delivered 64 in-person events in Indigenous and rural communities — more than five times the number held in 2024 — while expanding trainings, strategic advising, and professional learning across 17 states.

Last year, the program’s grantees themselves represented 10 states, with grantee-funded work ranging from Tribal-led AI sovereignty efforts to multi-district rural educator training models that equipped educators and families to engage with AI in ways that were locally relevant and culturally grounded. The 2026 program will build on this momentum by expanding opportunities for even more communities.

“As schools across the country navigate how to prepare students for an AI-driven future, meaningful progress depends on ensuring every community has a seat at the table,” said aiEDU’s CEO, Alex Kotran.

Funded projects may include:

Multi-session professional developmentProfessional learning communitiesTrain-the-trainer modelsInstructional coaching networksDistrictwide AI implementation planning

The 12-month grants will begin in summer 2026, with participating organizations selecting one or more support pathways from aiEDU, including:

Teacher Professional DevelopmentDistrict Leadership Capacity BuildingClassroom IntegrationCurricular Integration

For application details and submission information, visit aiedu.org/2026-catalyst.

About aiEDU 

The AI Education Project (aiEDU) is a nonprofit working to define, deliver, and catalyze AI readiness in K–12 education so every student is prepared to live, work, and lead in a world shaped by AI. Through high-quality curriculum, educator training, and systems partnerships, aiEDU has reached 48,000 educators and impacted 2.8 million students nationwide. The result: teachers who feel confident and capable, school systems that are better prepared for the future, and students who graduate with the AI competencies needed to thrive in an AI-driven world. Learn more at aiedu.org. 

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SOURCE aiEDU

A one-of-a-kind celebration of music, leadership, tradition, and transatlantic friendship spotlights the next generation of American leaders

FRONT ROYAL, Va., May 1, 2026 /PRNewswire/ — Randolph-Macon Academy (R-MA), Virginia’s premier college-preparatory boarding and day school for students in grades 8–12, delivered a superb parade performance at Thursday’s “Royal Block Party” in honor of Their Majesties King Charles III and Queen Camilla during the Virginia leg of their State Visit to the United States this week.

Hosted by the Town of Front Royal, set against the backdrop of the Blue Ridge Mountains, this celebration welcomed the Royal couple to an unprecedented event filled with local citizens, community leaders, and distinguished guests, for an unforgettable scene of pageantry, patriotism, and performance in the heart of Front Royal.

The Royal Block Party featured a combined ceremonial and musical presentation led by the renowned Randolph-Macon Academy Marching Band, joined by the Academy’s Color Guard and Regimental Staff. In a stirring display of community spirit, student musicians from Skyline High School and Warren County High School also performed, creating a powerful showcase of talent, discipline, and community pride.

“Randolph-Macon Academy stands at the intersection of history, leadership, and opportunity. To welcome Their Majesties in a setting that celebrates service, scholarship, and young people rising to meet the future is both a privilege and a moment of enormous significance for our Academy, our town, and our region.  This event showed the world what Yellow Jackets mean by ‘the Power of Rise’!”, said R-MA Board Chair Lucy Hooper.

R-MA cadets performing for the Royal couple spoke powerfully of the unique experience.  The Academy’s Regimental Commander, Cadet Colonel Rania Husted ’26, said, “I feel incredibly honored that R-MA was included in such a historic event. More than anything, I feel proud of my fellow cadets. Their hard work and dedication were evident in our performance, and I hope we made our Front Royal community proud as well.”

The Regimental Sergeant Major, Bijou Kebbay ’27, observed, “Everyone was nervous, I mean it was the king and queen of the United Kingdom, of course they were. But it was so beautiful to see how everyone came together to support each other and make sure everyone shined.”

Founded in 1892, Randolph-Macon Academy has developed young people of character, purpose, and ambition for more than 130 years. Located on a 135-acre campus in the Shenandoah Valley, R-MA offers a distinctive educational experience where structure meets opportunity, and tradition fuels transformation.

For families seeking more than a conventional high school experience, Randolph-Macon Academy offers something increasingly rare: a clear path to a life of meaning and purpose.

R-MA combines the personal attention of a small independent school with the ambition of a world-class preparatory institution. Students benefit from small classes, highly engaged faculty, competitive athletics, an extensive rotary and fixed wing aviation curriculum, STEM and robotics programs, leadership development, and one of the nation’s most respected college and service academy preparatory environments.

The Academy’s outcomes speak for themselves:

100% college acceptance for each of the past 19 yearsMore than $15 million in scholarships earned by the Class of 202515 – 20 U.S. Service Academy appointments in each of the past five yearsA nationally recognized Falcon Scholar Program with exceptional U.S. Air Force Academy placement, with the highest USAFA Falcon Scholar graduation rate in the nationBoarding and day options for students in grades 8–12 and post-graduates

In an era when families are searching for schools that do more than educate—that build resilience, cultivate leadership, and prepare students for consequential lives—Randolph-Macon Academy offers a compelling answer. As Front Royal welcomed royalty, Randolph-Macon Academy continued to do what it has done for thirteen decades: stand tall, lead proudly, and inspire the Rise within.

For additional details, visit Randolph-Macon Academy at www.rma.edu.

About Randolph-Macon Academy

Randolph-Macon Academy is a coeducational college-preparatory boarding and day school serving students in grades 8–12 and PG, in Front Royal, Virginia. Founded in 1892, the Academy is known for its distinctive combination of academic rigor, leadership development, character formation, and exceptional college and service academy outcomes.

Media Contact:
Director of Enrollment Management
Randolph-Macon Academy
200 Academy Drive
Front Royal, Virginia 22630
(540) 636-5484
media@rma.edu
www.rma.edu

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New Povaddo survey of 301 U.S. and European public policy experts reveals widespread alarm over AI governance gaps, labor market disruption, and the risk of an AI-driven misinformation crisis

In the U.S., four-in-ten policy insiders say AI poses an existential threat to humanity

ST. LOUIS, May 1, 2026 /PRNewswire/ — A newly released survey from Povaddo finds that public policy experts across the United States and Europe—the lawmakers, staffers, advocates, and analysts who help shape the rules governing society—agree that governments are failing to keep pace with the rise of AI. These findings from 301 individuals who help shape, influence, and analyze public policy reveal concern over AI’s impact on the labor market, democracy, and public safety, alongside near-universal agreement that government regulation of AI must be increased.

In an era when political consensus is elusive, this survey finds widespread agreement within the policy communities on both sides of the Atlantic that government regulation of AI should be increased. Three-in-five (61%) public policy experts say governments around the world are falling short in addressing the negative impacts of AI. The call for action is especially pronounced in the United States, where nine-in-ten (92%) public policy experts support stronger regulation compared to seven-in-ten (70%) in Europe.

The survey also reveals notable transatlantic differences in how public policy experts view AI’s societal impact. U.S. public policy experts express greater unease overall, particularly regarding the labor market. Over half (57%) believe AI is currently hurting the labor market in their country, compared to 34% of their European counterparts. U.S. public policy experts are also more likely to say AI poses a greater threat to jobs than immigration (63% versus 47% in Europe). Though public policy experts in both regions agree an AI-driven misinformation crisis is likely to happen within the next one to two years (87% in the U.S. versus 82% in Europe), those in the U.S. are more likely to believe misinformation created or spread by AI will affect national elections and voting outcomes as well as public health information.

These specific concerns are creating broader existential concerns. Four-in-ten U.S. public policy experts (41%) believe AI poses an existential threat to humanity, significantly more than the 29% of European public policy experts who share this view. U.S. public policy experts are also more likely than their European counterparts to believe that advances in AI will harm global security and stability. Despite geographic differences, these findings suggest that alarm about AI is moving into the mainstream of the policy world on both sides of the Atlantic.

The findings come at a moment of growing bipartisan concern in Washington. Senator Josh Hawley, one of the leading Republican voices calling for AI accountability, has introduced multiple pieces of bipartisan legislation with Democratic Senators Richard Blumenthal and Mark Warner aimed at protecting workers and children from AI-related harms and making the case that Congress has “a moral imperative to make sure that AI is actually good for people.” Across the Atlantic, the introduction of the EU’s landmark AI Act — the world’s first comprehensive AI regulatory framework — may help explain why European public policy experts express comparatively lower levels of concern across several survey questions.

“What makes these findings so significant is who is saying it,” said William Stewart, President and Founder of Povaddo. “These are the practitioners who work inside the policy process every day, spanning every corner of the policy world from defense to healthcare to finance, not activists or everyday citizens. These findings foreshadow real action. The current path of governments accelerating AI deployment while falling short on governance is not sustainable, and the people who know that best are the ones in this survey. You cannot have nine-in-ten policy insiders demanding more regulation and four-in-ten calling AI an existential threat without that eventually moving the needle in Washington and Brussels in terms of legislative or regulatory action.”

Visit the “Published Studies” section of Povaddo’s website for a high-level summary of select key findings. 

The complete 38-page report is available for $500 and includes detailed survey results for more than 35 questions, including:

Trust in specific technology companies to regulate and deploy AI responsibly, including Microsoft, Apple, Google, OpenAI, Nvidia, xAI, and MetaTrust in specific governments to regulate and deploy AI responsibly, including the U.S., EU, Japan, South Korea, India, China, and IsraelPerceptions of current U.S. and EU regulatory approaches to AI, including the EU’s Apply AI StrategyCurrent and anticipated societal impact of AI on the economy, labor market, democracy, public health, and the environmentOpinions on data centers, including their economic benefits, community risks, and regulatory oversightAI’s crisis potential, including misinformation, labor displacement, cybersecurity, and existential risk

Members of the media may request complimentary access to the full report by contacting info@povaddo.com.

Media Inquiries:       William Stewart
                                  +1 (855) 768-2336
                                  stewart@povaddo.com

About This Survey: Conducted and funded by Povaddo as part of the firm’s insights and intelligence platform, this online survey was fielded January 6-18, 2026 among n=151 public policy experts in the U.S. and n=150 public policy experts in the EU. Public policy experts are defined as individuals who help shape, influence, and/or analyze public policy as part of their daily job. Respondents for this survey were sourced from the Povaddo Panel, Povaddo’s purpose-built research panel of more than 10,000 public policy and business leaders worldwide.

About Povaddo: With offices in the U.S. and South Africa, Povaddo specializes in public opinion and policy elite research. Founded in 2009, the firm is recognized as a trusted advisor to top-tier organizations that are seeking to navigate complex issues management, strategic communications, corporate reputation, and business transformation challenges. For more information, please visit www.povaddo.com.

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SOURCE POVADDO LLC