New Britain, CT , April 6, 2026, Charter Oak State College has been awarded a $300,000 grant over three years from the Davis Educational Foundation to support a college-wide initiative titled Embedding AI Professional Core Competencies into Undergraduate Programs.
The grant, approved by the Trustees of the Davis Educational Foundation, will support the integration of artificial intelligence (AI)–related professional competencies across all undergraduate programs at Charter Oak State College. Trustees commended the proposal as well-organized, highlighted its strong leadership, and expressed enthusiasm for its comprehensive scope and institution-wide impact.
“This generous investment affirms Charter Oak’s commitment to preparing students with the AI-informed skills necessary for today’s workforce and for lifelong learning,” said President Ed Klonoski. “We are deeply grateful to the Davis Educational Foundation for recognizing both the importance of this work and the strength of our academic vision.”
Charter Oak State College received an initial payment of $100,000, with additional payments of $100,000 scheduled for April 2027 and April 2028, contingent upon continued progress consistent with the project’s stated goals and objectives.
The initiative will embed the seven core competencies of The Business–Higher Education Forum’s (BHEF) AI Enabled Professional Framework across all bachelor’s degree programs at Charter Oak State College. The framework identifies the essential capabilities every worker needs to thrive in an AI‑enabled economy. At Charter Oak, these competencies, referred to as AI Entablements (AIEs), include: AI literacy (understanding what AI is, how it works, and how to use it responsibly); data literacy (interpreting data to make AI insights actionable); critical thinking, problem solving, and creativity (evaluating AI‑generated outputs and identifying flawed reasoning); ethics, governance, and responsible AI use (addressing bias, transparency, and compliance); digital and computational skills (navigating digital environments and automation logic); collaboration and communication (working effectively with colleagues and AI systems in hybrid environments); and adaptability and continuous learning (cultivating the ability to learn, unlearn, and pivot as technology and business models evolve).
“The grant was received from the Davis Educational Foundation established by Stanton and Elisabeth Davis after Mr. Davis’s retirement as chairman of Shaw’s Supermarkets, Inc.”
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