Miami Dade College has announced grants totaling $15 million from the John S. and James L. Knight Foundation, Miami Dade County, the City of Miami, and the Miami Downtown Development Authority (Miami DDA) to launch MDC Tech.

Grants of $7 million from the Knight Foundation, $5 million from the county, $2 million from the city, and $1 million from the Miami DDA will support innovative programs in applied artificial intelligence (AI), data analytics, and related emerging technologies. Through MDC Tech, current and prospective students will have access to all MDC tech courses, programs, and professional development opportunities, as well as scholarships.

Over the past five years, MDC’s School of Engineering and Technology (EnTec) has attracted the attention and support of industry leaders in emerging technologies, including IBM, Amazon Web Services, Microsoft, Google, Cisco, and Oracle. As a result, EnTec’s programs in areas including cloud computing, cybersecurity, and data analysis are among the country’s most market-aligned in terms of curriculum and skills development. Since 2017, enrollment in tech-related programs has grown by 120 percent, to more than 5,000 students annually across more than 30 degree programs.

Through MDC Tech, the college will be the first in the nation to implement an AI course in its core curriculum. MDC also will build an AI Center designed to foster experiential learning and collaboration between industry and academia, which will join the college’s existing technology centers focused on animation and gaming, cloud computing, and cybersecurity. The initiative also will enable EnTec to increase its faculty by more than 20 percent , develop new courses, and professional development programs in AI and emerging tech disciplines. MDC also will implement AI for All, an initiative that aims to train every MDC student in applied AI regardless of their degree track.

“Miami Dade College is a cornerstone institution in Miami, offering high-quality, accessible educational and workforce training programming for our incredibly talented and diverse community,” said Raul Moas, senior director of the Knight Foundation Miami program. “With this new investment from Knight Foundation and our valued partners here in Miami, MDC is significantly growing its ability to meet the growing community demand for careers in tech while fueling industry with needed talent.”                                             

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