Exclusive: Heartland Forward jump-starts AI education

Axios

06-05-2025

Heartland Forward has selected an education technology company to develop gamified artificial intelligence curricula for students and entrepreneurs living in the center of the U.S. An announcement about the partnership is expected at the Heartland Summit this week.
Why it matters: AI fluency is increasingly a workforce expectation. Up to 30% of hours worked in the U.S. economy are projected to be automated by 2030, making AI aptitude critical for career readiness.
The urgency is palpable. President Trump recently created an AI education task force, and more than 200 CEOs signed a letter Monday urging state leaders to mandate AI and computer science as a high school graduation requirement.
The letter claims a single computer science course in high school boosts wages by 8%.
State of play: Bentonville's Heartland Forward, a self-described "think-and-do" tank, selected Dallas-based Stemuli to help build the curricula using a computer-game-like interface where students can learn.
They plan for the program to eventually be deployed in all 20 states the organization defines as the heartland.
Stemuli uses AI technology to create personalized learning for each individual in a platform that's similar to immersive games like Roblox.
In collaboration with Heartland Forward, the company will look at talent gaps the largest employers in the middle of the U.S. are predicting and will build learning "geared towards preparing young people for those particular jobs," Stemuli founder Taylor Shead told Axios.
Heartland Forward envisions also offering the learning to entrepreneurs who may benefit from AI.
A Heartland Forward representative declined to say how much the nonprofit would invest in the effort, saying only "it's a significant project."
Reality check: Students in rural communities often get left behind in tech adoption, Heartland Forward president and COO Angie Cooper told us.
"This program ensures the heartland is included in AI readiness, so that no one's left behind," she said.
A cohort of 10 rural Arkansas schools will likely be the first to use the platform once it's ready, along with entrepreneurs who are part of its Builders + Backers program.
Stunning stat: Students using Stemuli at P-TECH in Texas graduated with average earnings between $60,000 and $70,000, outpacing their peers' $46,000 average, Shead said.
What they're saying:"The general thing with AI is it's a manufacturer of time," Shead said, noting it can take two years for a community college to develop new curricula.
"So what you're able to do with AI is you're able to build faster, which means you essentially can … do more, cheaper."
Stemuli will continuously update curricula as technology evolves, she said.
"This is something that's coming to the heartland before coming to California or New York."
The big picture: The invitation-only Heartland Summit — held in Bentonville on Wednesday and Thursday — convenes about 350 policymakers, civic leaders, entrepreneurs and investors to network and discuss economic development in the 20 states in the middle of America.
Heartland Forward was founded in 2019 — after a one-off Heartland Summit in 2018 — to improve the economic performance in the center of the U.S. by advocating for job creation, inclusive growth and improved health. It's funded through private donations.
In many ways, it is the heartland's equivalent of the annual World Economic Forum held in Davos, Switzerland.
What we're watching: The summit has been a powerhouse of economic news in the past, usually sporting an eclectic mix of thoughtful guests from Pharrell Williams and Chelsea Clinton to Boris Johnson and Matthew McConaughey.