MAPS Practical AI for Public Service: Improve your Workflows, Communication, and Judgment

Course Overview

Course Description

Artificial intelligence is quickly becoming part of everyday work, yet many public-sector professionals remain unsure where to begin, what to trust, and how to use it responsibly. This course provides a practical, beginner-friendly introduction to generative AI that helps participants save time, improve the clarity and quality of their work products, and strengthen decision-making without needing a technical background. Participants learn prompting fundamentals, review techniques, and repeatable workflows for common tasks such as drafting and revising communications, summarizing and organizing documents, planning projects, and preparing reports and presentations. Because public service depends on trust, the course emphasizes verification, privacy, bias awareness, and appropriate human oversight. Through demonstrations, guided practice, and realistic public-service scenarios, participants leave with a set of prompt patterns, a responsible-use checklist, and an action plan they can apply immediately.

Intended Audience

This course is designed for public service professionals, government employees, higher education staff, nonprofit professionals, managers, analysts, coordinators, and administrative leaders who want a practical introduction to AI in the workplace. It is especially appropriate for beginners and early-stage users who are curious about AI but have limited experience using it in a structured, effective way. No technical background is required. The course is relevant to participants who write emails, prepare reports, review documents, organize information, communicate with stakeholders, or manage recurring administrative and analytical work.

Learning Outcomes

By the end of this course, participants will be able to: 

• Select at least three job-relevant tasks that are appropriate for AI support (and identify at least two tasks or conditions where AI use is high-risk or inappropriate) using a provided screening checklist.
• Draft and refine prompts using a repeatable structure (goal, context, constraints, and output format) to produce a specified deliverable (e.g., email draft, agenda, summary, or brief).
• Generate a first-pass work product (summary, outline, or draft) from a realistic public-service scenario and revise it for audience, tone, and clarity.
• Apply a verification workflow to AI output by checking for factual accuracy, missing context, bias, and confidentiality concerns, then document the edits made before use.
• Produce a personal “next-week implementation plan” that lists one immediate use case, required inputs/sources, safeguards, and a simple success metric.

Course Materials

Course materials will be provided in class.

Instructor

Jim Perry is an AI educator, executive trainer, and data and analytics leader based in New Albany, Ohio. He has more than 30 years of corporate technology experience, including senior leadership roles in retail, transportation, and international service organizations. His work connects enterprise data strategy, responsible AI adoption, and practical adult learning.

Through Happy AI Path, Jim designs and delivers customized AI training, executive coaching, and adoption programs for organizations including NiSource, StarCompliance, IAMBoundless, UBS, ProcessUnity, and Styer Real Estate Professionals. He helps leaders and teams use AI safely and effectively through prompt engineering, governance, human in the loop workflows, and measurable business applications.

Jim serves as an Adjunct Lecturer and AI Training Consultant at The Ohio State University Fisher College of Business, where he develops and teaches graduate and executive education programs in AI prompt engineering, data mining, Microsoft Copilot, and responsible AI. He has trained more than 1,000 learners across graduate, executive, and corporate audiences. He also teaches data and analytics at Columbus State Community College.

Before launching his current teaching and consulting work, Jim held senior data leadership roles at First Student, Belron International, Safelite AutoGlass, and Victoria's Secret. He directed multi million dollar transformation programs, led global data platform and engineering teams, modernized enterprise analytics environments, and helped organizations improve decision making through stronger governance, reporting, and data quality.

Jim holds a Master of Science in Information Systems, with a concentration in Technology Management, from Stevens Institute of Technology and a Bachelor of Science in Consumer Studies from Syracuse University. His writing and speaking focus on AI prompt engineering, human and AI collaboration, data strategy, AI governance, and the practical use of emerging technology in business.

Jim's interest in real estate began when he and his wife, Kristi, bought their first home when he was 24. He currently owns several rental properties in Ohio and remains active in Central Ohio real estate. He brings the same practical, data informed, calm communication style to real estate that he uses in teaching, consulting, and executive coaching.

In addition to his professional work, Jim teaches and practices yoga. He previously studied martial arts for 12 years, earning a third degree black belt in Tae Kwon Do and a first degree black belt in Hap Ki Do.

Jim has a long record of community service. He served for seven years on the Board of Trustees at Marburn Academy, a school dedicated to educating students with ADHD and dyslexia, including service as Board Secretary and Chair of the Governance Committee. He previously volunteered with Big Brothers Big Sisters of Central Ohio and served as a board member and treasurer of Simply Friends Forever. He currently serves as a volunteer technology advisor to Boundless, a Central Ohio nonprofit supporting individuals with disabilities.

Jim and Kristi live in New Albany, Ohio. They have two adult children, Skyler and Cole.

FAQ's

Follow these steps to make a cancellation:

1. Refer to your registration confirmation email
2. Scroll down to "Cancellation Policy"
3. Follow link in email
4. Enter the confirmation number from the registration email
5. At the top of the page, click on “Cancel Registration” button
6. Click Finish

Follow these steps to make a substitution: 

1. Refer to your registration confirmation email
2. Scroll down to "Substitutions"
3. Follow link in email
4. Enter the confirmation number from the registration email
5. At the top of the page, click on the “Substitute Registrant” button
6. Enter the name and email of the new registrant
7. Click Next
8. Click Confirm

Waitlist
What happens if I am on a waitlist for a course? You will receive an email confirming you have been added to a waitlist. If a spot becomes available, you will be notified by email.  

CEU and CPE Policy
Attendance in this course can earn:

• 0.6 Continuing Education Units (CEUs)
• 7.2 Continuing Professional Education Units (CPEs)

Attendance is recorded at check-in at the start of the day, and full CEU or CPE credit is awarded based on an honor system, with the expectation that participants are present and actively engaged for the full MAPS course.

Course Certificate
Your course certificate will be emailed to you following the course. It will reflect your Continuing Education Units (CEUs) and Continuing Professional Education Units (CPEs) earned and your attendance of the course. 

Photography
The Ohio State University may occasionally take pictures during educational events for use in program communication. If you do not want to be photographed during this course, please email the MAPS team at glenn-training@osu.edu.

MAPS Membership 
A MAPS member receives a discounted rate of $250 for each course with the initial purchase of at least 12 credits. Each credit equals one course for one individual.

To inquire about becoming a MAPS member, please fill out the MAPS Membership Form. A Glenn College Professional Development team member will reach out to you.

Questions or want to learn more?