Microsoft, DepEd to train, certify 2,000 teachers in AI use

The program is part of Microsoft's launch of Elevate for Educators and new classroom resources on safe AI use.

Photo from press release

Microsoft’s Elevate for Educators launch

Microsoft and the Department of Education (DepEd) aim to train and credential 2,000 DepEd teachers in AI literacy through Microsoft Elevate for Educators, which Microsoft launched in the Philippines on November 5.

Microsoft also launched two sets of classroom resources: the AI Classroom Toolkit and "Behind the Chat: A Human Guide to Safe AI Conversations in the Philippines."

The launch, delivered in partnership with DepEd, brought around 100 senior high school teachers to Microsoft’s office in Makati for a full day of hands-on training. The Department of Information and Communications Technology (DICT) and ChildFund Philippines joined the morning program to share their views on keeping young people safe online.

Over the coming months, Microsoft and Audentes Technologies, a Microsoft Elevate training partner, will deliver instructor-led training and digital badges and build a local community of practice linking Filipino teachers with peers abroad.

Training will continue with two virtual sessions in November 2026 and eight live sessions from January to May 2027. Community activities will run through April 2027, leading to a Recognition Day planned for May 2027. Every participant will also learn to use Behind the Chat and the AI Classroom Toolkit with their students.

The Elevate for Educators platform went live in October and brings learning, peer connection, and recognition into one experience. Educators begin as Explorers and can progress to Expert and Fellow, while schools join as Pathfinders and can work toward Showcase and Beacon status.

Educators can also earn a free credential developed with ISTE+ASCD and aligned with the AI Literacy Framework. Microsoft said the global community has more than 100,000 educators.

Behind the Chat is a set of scenario-based resources for teens, educators, parents, and caregivers, developed with Cyberlite. It follows three fictional young people in situations involving privacy and oversharing, AI-guided decision-making and emotional attachment. The format lets students discuss the topics without disclosing anything personal.

The resources also give parents and educators conversation starters and classroom prompts. Microsoft said they were informed by co-design workshops with 131 students aged 12 to 18 across nine schools in India and Singapore.

The AI Classroom Toolkit, "Unlocking Generative AI Safely and Responsibly," was also developed with Cyberlite. It was expanded in October during Global Media and Information Literacy Week with new lessons on verification and on media and AI literacy. It gives teachers a roadmap for bringing AI safety and critical thinking into the classroom.

The launch builds on the next phase of the DepEd–Microsoft partnership announced in August 2026, under which Microsoft will give 1 million Filipino public school teachers access to Microsoft Copilot.

The Philippine program is part of a wider rollout across ASEAN, with similar teacher programs under way in Indonesia, Malaysia and Thailand. It is jointly supported by Microsoft Elevate and Microsoft’s Digital Safety Unit.

Microsoft said educators, school leaders and parents can join Elevate for Educators and access the Behind the Chat and AI Classroom Toolkit resources.

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