Comcast has awarded $30,000 to the AI Academy at the Charleston Learning Center, the artificial intelligence training program Charleston Digital launched in June, the group announced Sept. 22.
The one-year grant went to the CDC Education Foundation, the nonprofit that offers the learning center with its partners. It will pay for workshops, certificates and meetups for learners in the tri-county region, according to the announcement.
The academy grew out of a pilot series called Collaborating with Agents and offers in-person classes for residents at every experience level. Its goal is to move people from “AI anxiety to curiosity, competence, productivity, and eventually the confidence to lead others through the same journey,” Charleston Digital said.
The entry point is a free, 90-minute Introduction to AI class sponsored by Google. It starts with common myths about AI and then gives participants guided practice with ChatGPT, Gemini and Claude, according to the learning center’s website.
The academy also offers paid classes, which the learning center’s website lists by level: AI for Middle School Students for beginners; Claude for Professionals and AI for Busy Families at the intermediate level; and Coding with AI Agents and a three-part Collaborating with Agents series for advanced learners. Most cost $30 and are free for Charleston Digital members, while Coding with AI Agents, aimed at software engineers, costs $50. The schedule also lists a three-hour, $99 workshop on AI for real estate transaction management on Nov. 12 and a free open house on Nov. 18.
“Artificial intelligence is reshaping the workplace, and access to practical training will be essential to ensuring everyone can benefit from the opportunities it creates,” said Keir Murray, Comcast’s vice president of local government and community affairs for South Carolina.
“This grant lets us put practical instruction in front of significantly more residents, and it keeps the entry point free for the people who need it most,” said Ernest Andrade, Charleston Digital’s executive director.
The learning center sits at 4 Conroy St. on the Charleston Tech Center campus. It also offers scholarships for Google Career Certificates, including one in AI essentials, under a partnership with Google announced in June 2025.
