Iona University Launches First Artificial Intelligence Micro Credential Program with Yonkers Public Schools, New York's Third-Largest District
New Rochelle, N.Y. (November 2024) – A first of its kind in the region, Iona University launched its new artificial intelligence (AI) micro credential program with Yonkers Public Schools, focused on equipping educators with the knowledge and skills needed to leverage AI tools both in the classroom and beyond.
Twenty-five educators from across the Yonkers school district gathered in Iona’s GaelVentures community incubator on North Avenue on November 19. Five sessions will take place both in person and virtually, concluding April 2025. Courses are set to cover everything from practical applications and ethical uses of AI to prompt writing, case study analysis and more.
Tricia Mulligan, Ph.D., Iona provost and senior vice president for academic affairs, kicked off the program. She said while there may be some trepidation surrounding AI, the evolving landscape presents an exciting opportunity for both educators and students to embrace a new mindset.
“As part of an educational ecosystem, we’re not only learning for ourselves here at Iona, but we’re also finding ways to collaborate with partners in our community to have an even greater impact,” Mulligan said. “We’re going to be with you on a journey throughout this program. Our aim is to learn from each other, and to empower you to bring these insights back to your communities.”
As an institution at the forefront of teaching and learning in the AI era, Iona’s growing array of AI@Iona initiatives are part of the University’s Gabelli Center for Teaching & Learning. Additional schools are set to participate in the AI@Iona micro credential program starting early 2025.
Yonkers Public Schools is the third-largest school district in New York State, educating over 25,000 students from 100 cultures, backgrounds and nationalities. It is also one of the largest employers in Westchester County, with a diverse workforce of roughly 4,000 people.
“As we navigate the transformative impact of artificial intelligence, this groundbreaking initiative between Iona University and Yonkers Public Schools represents a pivotal moment in education,” said Anibal Soler, Jr., Superintendent of Yonkers Public Schools. “By equipping our educators with the tools and knowledge to integrate AI into their classrooms, we are empowering them to prepare our students for a future driven by innovation and technology. This partnership underscores our commitment to fostering equity, creativity, and excellence in education for all.”
Rob Kissner, clinical lecturer at Iona’s Hynes Institute for Entrepreneurship & Innovation, is leading the training on behalf of the university.
In the first session, he took participants through an exploration of various AI tools including ChatGPT, Gemini, Copilot, Perplexity and others, concluding with case studies in different tools for comparison. Prompting the AI platforms with real-world classroom scenarios suggested by the Yonkers educators, the session was as instructive as it was productive. Their homework assignment was to set up an account with at least two generative AI tools and to start experimenting with prompts.
As one of the inaugural Gabelli Center Presidential Fellows, Kissner is passionate about sharing his AI experience with others. Yet he emphasized that in this dynamic, rapidly evolving field, the best learning will happen collaboratively.
“I always start these talks by saying I’m not an expert in AI and anyone who says they are an expert is lying,” Kissner said. “As educators, we’re here to see how we can leverage this powerful tool to our best capabilities so we can focus our time and energy on what matters most: our students.”
To learn more about Iona’s new AI micro credential program for educators, please contact the Office of the Provost at (914) 633-2602 or provost@iona.edu.
ABOUT IONA
Founded in 1940, Iona University is a master's-granting private, Catholic, coeducational institution of learning in the tradition of the Edmund Rice Christian Brothers. Iona's 45-acre New Rochelle campus and 28-acre Bronxville campus are just 20 miles north of Midtown Manhattan. With a total enrollment of nearly 4,000 students and an alumni base of more than 50,000 around the world, Iona is a diverse community of learners and scholars dedicated to academic excellence and the values of justice, peace and service. Iona is highly accredited, offering undergraduate degrees in liberal arts, science and business administration, as well as Master of Arts, Master of Science and Master of Business Administration degrees and numerous advanced certificate programs. Iona students enjoy small class sizes, engaged professors and a wide array of academic programs across the School of Arts & Science; LaPenta School of Business; NewYork-Presbyterian Iona School of Health Sciences; and Hynes Institute for Entrepreneurship & Innovation. Iona also continues to be recognized in prestigious national rankings. Most recently for 2025, Iona has been named one of the nation’s best colleges by The Princeton Review, The Wall Street Journal, Forbes and others. Additionally, U.S. News & World Report recognized Iona as one of top for social mobility in the country, while Georgetown University's Center on Education and the Workforce (CEW) ranked an Iona degree in the top 5 percent nationally for long-term return on investment. Iona’s LaPenta School of Business, meanwhile, is also accredited by AACSB International, a recognition awarded to just 6 percent of business schools worldwide. In addition, The Princeton Review recognized Iona’s on-campus MBA program as a “Best Business School for 2024.” Iona also offers a fully online MBA program for even greater flexibility. In July 2021, Iona announced the establishment of the NewYork-Presbyterian Iona School of Health Sciences, which is now principally located on Iona’s Bronxville campus in collaboration with one of the nation’s top hospitals. Connecting to its Irish heritage, Iona also opened a new campus in County Mayo, Ireland, located on the historic 400-acre Westport House Estate. A school on the rise, Iona officially changed its status from College to University on July 1, 2022, reflecting the growth of its academic programs and the prestige of an Iona education.