Training is where to click.
We're former teachers and technology directors helping communities and school districts get ready for what's next, from everyday classroom tools to AI-driven workforce and community development.
Why we exist
Communities and the public school districts inside them are both changing fast. We make sure neither gets left to figure it out alone.
friEdTech Foundation was built by educators who spent years in classrooms and district technology offices before starting this work. We know the difference between being handed a new tool and actually being ready to use it well, and that readiness has to reach past the school building, into the workforce and the wider community.
Our mission is to support communities and public school districts through hands-on professional development, AI education, digital literacy, and workforce readiness training, so that technology serves students, workers, and families instead of leaving them to catch up on their own.
Programs
Four ways we're currently showing up for districts and communities.
AI Education for Communities & Schools
We help communities build workforce readiness through practical AI education, reaching local workers and families alongside school district leaders and classroom teachers. That includes helping districts build clear, responsible AI policy, but the work reaches well beyond the school building. Each community gets its own in-person keynote and hands-on sessions built around its own needs.
Digital Literacy & Instructional Technology
Hands-on professional learning that builds real teacher confidence with classroom technology, designed and delivered by former teachers and instructional technology directors.
Data Center Community Readiness
As data center development brings fast economic and technological change to communities around the country, we partner with regional education service centers and school districts to prepare students, families, and educators for what's arriving, through educator professional development, community digital literacy, and workforce readiness training. See how it works →
Community Projects
We partner with local organizations already doing good work, and we run our own community-facing initiatives, like family digital literacy nights and community showcase events, that extend learning and opportunity beyond the school day. See how it works →
Data Center Community Readiness, in depth
Data centers are expanding rapidly, and that growth changes local economies, job markets, and schools fast. friEdTech Foundation partners with regional education service centers and school districts in these communities to make sure students, families, and educators are ready for what's arriving, not caught off guard by it. Our data center community readiness work combines:
- Educator professional development in technology integration and AI literacy, so classroom instruction keeps pace with a changing local economy.
- Parent and community digital literacy training, covering everyday workplace software, job search skills, and financial literacy for families navigating new employment opportunities.
- Leadership engagement with superintendents, principals, and instructional technology teams to align district strategy with community change.
- Community showcase events that bring families, schools, and local partners together to see the work in action.
- Data collection and impact reporting, so districts and partners can see what's working and where to invest next.
We deliver this through in-person multi-day events, quarterly workshops, and year-round online learning, starting in rural education service center regions and designed to replicate in any community experiencing similar growth.
Community Projects, in depth
Our work doesn't stop at the schoolhouse door. friEdTech Foundation partners with local organizations already active in the community, and we also run our own community-facing initiatives directly, including family and community digital literacy nights, workforce readiness sessions, and community showcase events. The goal is the same either way: extend learning and opportunity beyond the school day, for the whole community, not just the classroom.
Frequently Asked Questions
Quick answers about who we are and what we do.
Does friEdTech Foundation work with communities near data center development?
Yes. As data center development brings fast economic and technological change to communities around the country, friEdTech Foundation partners with regional education service centers, school districts, and local organizations to prepare students, families, and educators for that growth, through educator professional development, community digital literacy, and workforce readiness training.
What community programs does friEdTech Foundation run?
friEdTech Foundation partners with local organizations already active in the community and also runs its own community-facing initiatives, including family and community digital literacy training, workforce readiness sessions, and community showcase events, extending learning and opportunity beyond the school day.
Is friEdTech Foundation only focused on schools?
No. friEdTech Foundation works with public school districts, but our mission is broader than that: we support the whole community around those districts, particularly in areas experiencing rapid growth from data center development, through AI education, digital literacy, and workforce readiness training and direct community partnerships.
What is friEdTech Foundation's AI education program?
friEdTech Foundation's AI education work supports community and workforce development through practical AI education, reaching local workers and families alongside school district leaders and classroom teachers. It includes helping districts build clear, responsible AI policy, delivered through in-person, community-specific training.
Where does friEdTech Foundation operate?
friEdTech Foundation is based in Conroe, Texas, and serves communities and public school districts wherever the need is, including areas experiencing rapid growth from data center development.
Board of Directors
An independent-majority board governing the Foundation.
Amy Mayer
PresidentAmy Mayer is the founder and CEO of friEdTech and president of the friEdTech Foundation. friEdTech is a nationally recognized voice in AI adoption, professional learning, and organizational strategy. A former classroom teacher turned entrepreneur, she brings over two decades of experience helping leaders implement new technologies, work smarter, and scale their impact, with a current focus on helping organizations navigate AI's evolving role.
friEdTech is an official training partner for Google and Adobe, selected by both companies to deliver professional learning directly to large customers nationwide. Amy also spent many years on the board of the Techs4Tex Foundation, which created and hosted TxGoo, the largest Google Summit conference in the nation, further cementing her standing as one of the most trusted voices in technology today.
She is the author of Beyond Worksheets: Creative Ways to Teach & Engage Students.
Rich Mayer
Executive DirectorRich brings two decades in education, from classroom teacher to assistant principal, to his role guiding the Foundation's day-to-day operations and program delivery, turning district partnerships into real, on-the-ground training. He joined friEdTech's mission because he wants to see quality professional development made possible for more audiences.
Mike Wallace
Independent DirectorMike is a Senior Infrastructure Engineer at Rice University, specializing in email, collaboration, and cloud computing, with a passion for automating tasks. He brings a calm, logical perspective to the board and joined the Foundation to help grow the thoughtful use of technology in education.
J.R. Ginex-Orinion
Independent DirectorJ.R. has worked in education since 1998, with a background in science and computer science, and has spent the past 15 years as a presenter and consultant in teacher professional development, including keynote appearances at edtech conferences nationwide. He joined the board to help ensure educators of every background and experience level have access to professional learning that improves the communities they serve.
Dr. Brandi Jones
Independent DirectorBrandi is a Principal with 23 years of experience across the classroom, athletic coaching, instructional coaching, and school administration, and holds a doctorate in K-12 curriculum and instruction. She believes learning has to be relevant and accessible, and joined the board because technology is a vehicle the Foundation can use to make a real impact on learning in the community.
Get Involved
Support the work, or bring it to your district.
Make a Gift
friEdTech Foundation, Inc. is a recognized 501(c)(3) public charity. Gifts support AI education, digital literacy programs, and community partnerships for communities and public school districts wherever we're at work.
Bring friEdTech to Your District
Already know you want AI readiness training, digital literacy PD, or a community partnership? Skip the form and reach out directly to Amy.
friEdTechnology, LLC serves as the Foundation's contracted implementation partner, delivering training under the Foundation's oversight, with additional technical delivery support from AI EdPro.