AI Made Practical

for Public Agencies in East Texas

ETCOG is partnering with Upper Coastal Plain Council of Governments to offer public sector training on AI. The UCPCOG AI Network provides a clear, affordable path for local governments to use artificial intelligence without needing a large budget or IT department. This network delivers secure, shared AI tools and practical training to meet you where you are.


The AI Network offers a 7-course online curriculum covering AI basics, prompt writing, document tools, governance, and staff upskilling. The curriculum is offered as an annual subscription program and will be offered to East Texas jurisdictions beginning March 1, 2026.

The AI Academy: Your Public Sector Training Hub

The online curriculum covers AI basics, prompt writing, document tools, governance, and staff upskilling.

This is easy to follow and simple to use. Courses are suitable for group training or self-paced learning.

Introduction to Public Sector AI

The first course offers an introduction to Generative AI and foundational concepts.

Introduction to Prompt Engineering

Learn the essential skill that makes AI tools actually useful for your day-to-day work.

Organizational Readiness

Leaders know AI has potential, but where do you start? Let's build capacity for responsible adoption.

Advanced Prompt Engineering

Unlock the power of advanced prompt engineering to solve real public sector problems.

Introduction to Data Analysis

A beginner-friendly course to unlock the power of your data without writing a single line of code.

AI Image Generation

Learn practical wasy to create an edit images using ChatGPT, including clear prompts, applying styles, and more.

AI Governance for Local Governments

Offering the tools for public officials and staff to govern AI responsibly.

How to Join

Black silhouette of a human brain, showing the cerebral cortex and brainstem.

UPCOG AI Academy Annual Subscription

$600 per year

COG Membership
Membership includes a single organizational subscription designed specifically for public sector use. Councils of Governments (COGs) may use this account as a shared training resource across their organization, including screening courses in staff meetings, supporting onboarding, or assigning modules for self-paced learning. The UCPCOG will contact participating COGs to determine the number of codes needed to train additional staff.


Local Government Membership
For counties, municipalities, and other local agencies, the subscription is structured around a designated primary user who leads training efforts, coordinates internal learning, and applies materials within the organization. Local governments purchasing the annual subscription may be issued up to 25 free codes to create accounts to train other staff.



What’s Included:

One year of access to the full UCPCOG AI Academy core curriculum:

  • Introduction to AI
  • Organizational AI Assessment
  • Prompt Engineering
  • Advanced Prompt Engineering
  • Data Analysis
  • Image Generation (Basic and Advanced)
  • AI Governance
  • AI In Public Leadership | A Digital Resource Training Toolkit

Note: Additional Courses Are in Development

Each course includes:

  • 60–90 minutes of video instruction per video
  • Downloadable resources and templates
  • Quick guides and checklists
  • End-of-course quiz


Enroll Now ‭→

Questions?

Contact our Special Projects Director,
David Scott, for more information.

Contact Us