2025-2026 Catalyst Grant Winners Advance AI Integration in Education
RALEIGH, N.C. — The Friday Institute for Educational Innovation and the NC State College of Education have awarded three Catalyst Grants that are designed to increase research collaborations between faculty and staff at both entities and seed collaborative, high-impact research that will lead to further inquiry and support.
“As AI continues to transform society, preparing both learners and educators to use these tools critically and responsibly is essential,” said Karen Hollebrands, associate dean for research and innovation in the College of Education. “These projects advance AI integration in education by exploring how both students and teachers engage with generative AI, whether supporting students in building AI literacy or teachers in lesson planning.”
The grant review team included Krista Glazewski, executive director of the Friday Institute and associate dean for translational research in the College of Education; Cesar Delgado, associate professor in the College of Education; Jamie Gillespie, research scholar at the Friday Institute; and Jose Picart, deputy director of the Friday Institute.
See below for a list of winning proposals and researchers.
Supporting Student Learning of Generative AI and Large Language Models through AI Chatbot Construction
To ensure students can engage with AI critically and ethically, there is a pressing need for purpose-built, age appropriate learning environments that demystify generative AI (genAI) and support ethical design thinking. This project will empower middle school students to explore genAI by constructing their own chatbots using an expanded version of the existing platform AMBY. AMBY enables students to define chatbot intents, input training data and iteratively test and refine their chatbots. This approach helps students understand genAI from the inside out and cultivates responsible, informed creators of AI technologies.
Awarded to: Joey Huang, assistant professor of learning, design and technology in the College of Education; Tiffany Barnes, senior faculty fellow at the Friday Institute and distinguished professor of computer science in the College of Engineering; and Xiaoyi Tian, research scientist of computer science at the NC State University Center for Educational Informatics.
Designing and Piloting Simulations to Explore Reflective Use of Generative AI in Teacher Planning
Teachers today are navigating one of the most significant technological shifts in decades: the rise of generative AI (genAI) tools such as ChatGPT and Gemini. These tools are entering educational spaces faster than professional preparation can keep pace. While some educators are experimenting with genAI for brainstorming, lesson design or differentiation, their engagement often lacks structure, guidance or connection to deep instructional reasoning. As a result, genAI is frequently used informally, with little attention to how it might support, or disrupt, pedagogical decision-making. This project responds to that challenge by exploring how generative AI can serve not just as a means for efficiency but also as a dialogic tool in the work of instructional planning. The project will develop and pilot simulation-based learning modules designed to help teachers engage thoughtfully with genAI during lesson planning. Each module will present an authentic instructional dilemma that participants must navigate using genAI, supported by structured prompts and guided reflection. These simulations are designed to mirror challenges teachers face while fostering deeper engagement with planning processes, content knowledge and pedagogical reasoning.
Awarded to: Amy Walter, research scholar at the Friday Institute; Dennis Davis, associate professor of literacy education in the College of Education; and Jill Jones, assistant teaching professor in the College of Education.
Mapping the Modern Lesson Plan: Resources, Values, and Decision-Making among North Carolina Secondary Teachers
The process and tools available for teachers to use in instructional planning is evolving rapidly, and research is needed to understand how teachers plan lessons and the types of factors that influence their decisions. Teachers often use lessons they find on the internet, get from fellow teachers, purchase on websites or generate using AI. This project will investigate teachers’ perspectives on instructional planning with emphasis on the sources, decision making process and values underlying the lesson plans that teachers design and use in instruction. As alternative types of teacher education programs continue to grow, these researchers also want to know more about how lesson planning is being taught and what challenges teachers face in preparing instruction.
Awarded to: Gail Jones, University Distinguished Professor of Science Education in the College of Education and senior faculty fellow at the Friday Institute; Jaclyn Stevens, interim director and research scholar of the Professional Learning and Leading Collaborative at the Friday Institute; Marie Himes, director and research scholar of the New Literacies Collaborative at the Friday Institute; and Madeline Stallard, postdoctoral scholar at the Friday Institute.
About the Friday Institute
The Friday Institute for Educational Innovation advances K-12 education through innovation in teaching, learning and leadership by bringing together students, teachers, researchers, policymakers and educational professionals to foster collaborations that improve education for all learners. The Friday Institute for Educational Innovation is part of NC State’s College of Education, one of the leading land-grant colleges of education in the nation.
