AI for educators · keynotes, workshops & PD days

AI for educators.

Keynotes, workshops and PD days for the people who teach, lead and communicate in schools.

Rebecca Bultsma leading an AI workshop with educators

Why education

Schools need a guide who has stood where they stand.

I spent seven years working in a school division, from Communications Officer to Director of Communications, and I was the spokesperson through COVID. I know what it is like to carry a decision into a room full of families, staff and trustees when the answers are not clear yet.

That is why I do not treat AI in schools as a technology problem. It is a leadership, safety, trust and communication problem, and it reaches teachers, students, parents and boards at the same time.

I went on to study it properly. I hold an MSc in Data and AI Ethics, with Distinction, from the University of Edinburgh, and I conduct ongoing research in education, leadership and AI. I combine that research with practical AI expertise, which gives me a nuanced perspective.

I am an independent AI ethicist. I do not sell or endorse any AI products, so what I tell your people is what I actually think.

Former school district Director of CommunicationsMSc in Data and AI Ethics, with Distinction, University of Edinburgh200+ AI presentations · 80,000+ people reached

Who I work with

One conversation across the whole school community.

I always recommend starting with teachers. While I am there, I also like to meet with student groups and with parents and the community, so everybody is part of the same conversation.

Teachers and school staff

Practical, honest sessions on AI for lesson design, student use, assessment and academic honesty, so teachers leave with professional judgment, not a rule list.

School and district leaders

Workshops and executive sessions for superintendents, cabinets and leadership teams, with the questions leaders actually face, answered plainly.

Boards and trustees

Briefings for boards that need to understand where AI fits, where it does not, and what decisions are theirs to make.

School communicators

I was a district director of communications for seven years and I am APR-accredited, so these sessions are written for people who have to explain decisions to families and the public.

Students, parents & community

When students, parents and staff hear the same message, the conversation at home and at school starts from the same place.

Topics

What I speak about in education.

Every session is shaped around your context and the people in the room.

AI in K-12: Protection, Power, and Purpose

What AI can protect, what it can empower and what it is for in a school.

Deepfakes at the Door

What deepfakes and nudify apps are, why they have reached schools, and how leaders, communicators and boards can be ready before one happens. More on deepfakes in schools.

AI and Assessment: Beyond Detection to Redesign

Moving past catching students and toward assessment that holds up.

Your Kids and AI: What Every Parent Needs to Know

A session for parents and caregivers, built to sit alongside the staff conversation.

Community Conversations That Make AI Work

Town halls and community conversations that bring everyone into the same discussion.

AI Policy That Actually Gets Used

Practical, human-centred guidelines and decision frameworks, not a document that sits in a drawer.

Plain-English AI: What Your Team Actually Needs to Know

What is real, what is hype and what is coming next.

Hands-On AI: Open Your Laptop and Build Something

A working session with the tools that are worth your time.

Ways to work together

Keynotes, PD days and workshops.

Keynotes

A research-grounded keynote that gives your audience clarity about AI without hype or doom, built for your event and your moment.

PD days

Half-day and full-day professional learning: practical AI skills, ethics people can use, and time to work with real tools on real tasks.

Workshops

Hands-on working sessions for leadership and communications teams: where AI fits, where it does not, and what decisions are yours to make.

Executive sessions

A closed-door briefing for cabinets and boards. The questions leaders actually face, answered plainly.

Virtual sessions

Any of the above, delivered live for distributed teams.

You can book a keynote, workshop, Q&A, panel or any combination of these, as a half day, a full day or several days. I share my slides, recordings are fine, and every session comes with take-home resources your team can keep using.

Inquire about a session →

Track record

I’ve worked with school systems across North America.

Large school districts, school boards, education conferences and school communications associations across the United States and Canada.

United States

CaliforniaColoradoFloridaGeorgiaMassachusettsMichiganMinnesotaMissouriNew JerseyNew YorkOhioOklahomaOregonPennsylvaniaSouth CarolinaTennesseeTexasWashingtonWisconsin

Canada

AlbertaBritish ColumbiaManitobaNew BrunswickNova ScotiaOntarioSaskatchewan

More than 200 AI presentations. Published in SchoolCEO Magazine, with a chapter on generative AI in crisis and risk communication. Still a former school communicator at heart.

Questions

Before you book.

Do you do AI PD days for teachers?

Yes. I run keynotes, half-day and full-day PD days and workshops for teachers and school staff. I always recommend starting with teachers, and I also like to meet with student groups and with parents and the community so everybody is part of the same conversation.

Do you train school and district leaders?

Yes. Half-day workshops, executive sessions and PD days are built for superintendents, cabinets, boards, school communicators and leadership teams. I was a school district director of communications for seven years before working independently, and I am an APR-accredited public relations professional, so the sessions are written for people who have to explain decisions to families and the public.

Do you speak to students and parents?

Yes, and I recommend it. When students, parents and staff hear the same message, the conversation at home and at school starts from the same place.

What will our people walk away with?

People will be empowered. They will have a strong understanding of the nuance in the AI conversation, concrete next steps, and resources that make it easy to understand, along with permission to think about AI with a lot more nuance. No technical background required.

Can you customize the session for our district?

Yes, always. Before the session we have a planning call, and I tailor examples, stories and tools to your audience, sector and the decisions they face. I will often ask what you want people to be able to do or decide differently afterward, because that shapes the session more than the topic does.

Are you independent, or do you sell AI products?

I am fully independent. I do not sell or endorse any AI products.

Where are you based, and how do I book you?

I am based in Alberta, Canada, and I travel internationally. I also speak virtually. Complete the inquiry form with your audience, date range, format and goals, and I follow up personally to talk about fit. Book as early as you can, especially for in-person events that involve travel, but if your date is close, get in touch anyway.

More answers on the FAQs page, and see me speak.

Let’s connect

Bring AI into your school community the right way.

If you are planning a PD day, a leadership retreat or a conference keynote, I’d love to hear about it.

Inquire about a session →