What it is: A hands-on workshop to help Lafayette-area nonprofits better understand and unlock AI tools. Lunch will be provided.

Why it matters: Lafayette-area nonprofits have a outsized impact on education, housing, workforce development and health but they are often stretched thin. AI can help — if you know how to use it safely and which tools to use for which tasks. This 2.5-hour workshop is designed for nonprofit staff who are interested in learning how to harness the power of AI safely to supercharge your mission.

What you’ll learn:

How to navigate AI safely and create AI guidelines for your nonprofit
How to use tools like ChatGPT, Gemini and Claude
How to simplify fundraising and digital storytelling with tools like Gamma & VO
How to manage administrative and grant work using AI tools
Real-world use cases you can implement during and after the workshop

What you’ll get:

✅ Hands-on training from AI-for-Good leader Patrick M. Young
✅ Exposure to tools you can optimize for nonprofit work
✅ Real-time practice on your own laptop with your own challenges
✅ Lunch generously provided by the William C. Schumacher Family Foundation

What to bring:

💻 Your laptop
❓A problem or question you'd like to work on
🧠 An open mind

When:
📅 Tuesday, October 7, 2025
🕑 11:30 a.m. - 2:00 p.m. (2.5 hours)

Where:
📍 Acadiana Center for the Arts, Lafayette, LA.

Who should attend:
Nonprofit professionals, fundraisers, comms teams, grant writers and anyone ready to make AI work for their mission.

About our trainer - Patrick M. Young Patrick is a nationally recognized leader in workforce development, economic empowerment, and community innovation, with over two decades of experience designing transformative programs for nonprofits and justice-impacted communities. He serves as Vice President of Workforce and Economic Development at Youth Advocate Programs, Inc. (YAP), where he leads national strategies to connect underserved populations with career pathways, employer partnerships, and future-of-work skills.

Patrick is also the Founder and CEO of 4 Social Peace, the nation’s first digital community violence intervention organization, pioneering efforts across social media, gaming, and metaverse platforms to reduce online harm and create safer digital spaces. A W.K. Kellogg Foundation Global Fellow, graduate of the University of Chicago’s Community Violence Intervention Leadership Academy, and alumnus of Georgetown University’s New Strategies Rising Program, Patrick blends policy expertise, technology adoption, and grassroots engagement to drive impact.

An advocate for preparing the social sector for the AI era, Patrick integrates artificial intelligence, VR/AR, and immersive learning into workforce and nonprofit training including partnerships with VEDX to advance experiential education. His Growth by AI: Improve Your AI IQ session equips nonprofit leaders with practical, ethical, and future-focused AI strategies to enhance efficiency, storytelling, and mission delivery.

Patrick is the author of A Way Up: Economic Development Post Incarceration, and his work has been featured by the W.K. Kellogg Foundation, Forbes, and Rolling Out.

Hosted by The Current – Lafayette’s nonprofit newsroom and civic partner in community-powered change.

Sponsored by Techneaux - Your business is flexible, your technology should be, too.

AI for Lafayette Nonprofits // AI for Good

A hands-on workshop hosted by The Current to help Lafayette-area nonprofits understand and unlock AI tools to level up good work in our community.