OpenAI: New Phase of AI Education for Countries Program

OpenAI has announced a new phase of its global Education for Countries initiative, a program that helps national governments systematically integrate AI tools into education. Following the first cohort of eight countries, the organization is actively selecting partners for the next round, to be announced by end of 2026.

What does the new phase bring?

The first cohort included Estonia, Greece, Italy, Jordan, Kazakhstan, Slovakia, Trinidad and Tobago, and the UAE — each country received a tailored approach to ChatGPT tools and teacher training support. The new phase introduces three key upgrades.

OpenAI Luminaries — a new program for teachers that includes co-designing tools with educators, practical classroom resources, and a platform for sharing experiences across countries. The goal is to build a community of educators who actively lead AI adoption in classrooms.

OpenAI Academy certificates — ministries of education can offer teachers and students structured courses and certificates related to AI application, aligned with national labor market priorities.

Evidence-based implementation — rather than simply providing access to tools, OpenAI works with educational researchers to measure real-world impact, sharing findings with governments so they know what is worth scaling.

Why does this matter for education systems?

The program recognizes that the availability of AI tools alone is not enough — the key barriers are teacher competency and institutional capacity. The top-down approach (government → ministry → school) is combined with a bottom-up model that gives teachers a voice through the Luminaries program.

What are the next steps?

OpenAI is inviting governments interested in the second cohort to apply, with emphasis on developing countries. The program is positioned as an alternative to fragmented local initiatives — a unified “AI education stack” covering infrastructure, training, and research in one package.