The Ministry of Education (MEP) in Costa Rica announced on March 27 a new initiative to provide 90,000 scholarships for artificial intelligence (AI) training aimed at teachers, principals, and educational leaders across the country. The program is launched in partnership with the Centro de Estudios y Capacitación Cooperativa (CENECOOP R.L.) and focuses on integrating AI into educational processes.
The initiative aims to prepare the education system for current and future challenges by strengthening educators’ abilities to use AI tools, personalize learning experiences, and improve educational outcomes. According to Minister Leonardo Sánchez Hernández, “La inteligencia artificial no va a reemplazar a los docentes; los va a potenciar. Y un docente que la use bien va a transformar la educación. Por eso hoy no estamos hablando del futuro: estamos formando a quienes lo van a construir.”
The training will be fully online and asynchronous, consisting of four modules—fundamentals, tools, ethics, and innovation—and will last 32 hours. Participants can access over 225 educational resources and are allowed to progress at their own pace from anywhere in the country. The platform will be available from April 27 through December 31.
To complete the program successfully, participants must pass quizzes at the end of each module with a minimum score of eight out of ten. Those who finish all requirements will receive a digital certificate supported by FUNDEPOS University Foundation, CENECOOP R.L., and NextGen Professionals.
A spokesperson from CENECOOP said: “Desde CENECOOP reafirmamos nuestro compromiso con la formación continua del talento humano del país. Esta alianza con el MEP nos permite acercar herramientas innovadoras como la inteligencia artificial a los docentes, fortaleciendo sus capacidades y contribuyendo a una educación más pertinente y actualizada.” Registration periods are set between April and June.
This effort positions Costa Rica as one of the leading countries globally in providing large-scale AI education for teachers.
