Friday AI Day Is Here: Demystifying AI In Extension, One Month At A Time
August 25, 2026
Submitted by Jaime Menon
You asked, and we listened. After the enthusiastic response to April's Demystifying AI in Extension workshop, one message came through loud and clear: you wanted more — more hands-on examples, more peer voices, and more room to ask questions without the jargon. So we built it.
Friday AI Day is a new monthly series designed to take the mystery out of artificial intelligence and put practical, action-ready ideas in your heads and hands. Each session is built around real work: how experts and colleagues are actually using these tools to make work more efficient, what the technology means for our communities, and where AI fits into the programs you run every day. Expect peer showcases, context-building conversations, and program-specific deep dives — no computer science degree required.
The best part? These aren't lectures from the outside looking in. Our presenters are Extension professionals and subject-matter experts from K-State and beyond, including colleagues from fellow Extension systems of Penn and Mississippi, sharing the facts, and what’s been working for them.
A quick FYI – what you won’t see on the list (yet) is the most requested sessions – guidance on AI Policy and Usage. I was directed to the KSU AI Taskforce and was told that when the team is finished with their recommendations they will reach out and work with me to provide Friday AI Day updates on the subjects – so one reason to stay tuned!
The Confirmed Lineup
- Sept. 25, 2026 — Practical AI: Show Me How You Do It · Jason Coleman, Academic Services KSU AIbrarian
- Oct. 9, 2026 — Data Centers: Just the Facts · Tom Beresnyak, Senior Educator, Penn State Extension
- Nov. 13, 2026 — Working AI into Your Social Media Strategy · Jana Thomas, Professor of Practice, A.Q. Miller School of Media and Communication, KSU
- Dec. 11, 2026 — AI to Action: The Marketing Roadmap for Extension Professionals · James Barnes, Extension Ag Economist, Mississippi State Extension
- Jan. 8, 2027 — AI for Evaluation and Reporting · Mary Hellmer and Canopy
- Feb. 12, 2027 — How to Build Your Own AI Agent · Jason Coleman, Academic Services Librarian
Spring sessions — including a live GRAIT demo and a session on using AI for grant searches — are being finalized, so stay tuned.
Save Your Spot
Mark your calendars for the fourth Friday in September and the second Friday of every month after. Sessions are open to all K-State Extension staff, and whether you're AI-curious or already experimenting, you'll leave with something you can use on Monday of the next week (or even Friday afternoon)!
Inaugural Friday AI Day – September 25, 2026 will be Practical AI – Show Me How You Do It!
Presenter: Jason Coleman, Academic Service Librarian, Professor and AIBrarian
Register here: https://ksu.zoom.us/meeting/register/vMwAM8LjR1uIszELlGYUaw
Registration details for further sessions will come in Tuesday Letters and Teams posts. Questions? Email me at jmenon@ksu.edu
Have a topic you'd love to see covered, or work you’d like to share? Reach out — this series grows with your ideas!
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