# AI Prompt Engineering for Government Workforce Course Canonical URL: ## Overview This course provides a practical introduction to using generative AI tools effectively and responsibly in government work. This course explains how AI language models function at a high level and teaches participants how to write, refine, and evaluate prompts to obtain clearer, more useful results. Participants will learn how to start and manage AI conversations, apply prompt frameworks to common work tasks, and improve AI outputs through iteration and evaluation. The course also addresses multimodal prompting, AI limitations such as hallucinations and bias, and essential guardrails for ethical and secure AI use in government environments. Through demonstrations, guided activities, and real-world examples, participants gain hands-on experience using AI assistants to support writing, analysis, summarization, and problem-solving tasks while maintaining accuracy, transparency, and compliance with government standards. ## What you'll learn - Understand how generative AI models interpret and respond to prompts - Craft clear, effective prompts for common government tasks - Apply best-practice prompt design techniques for accuracy and relevance - Refine prompts using iterative evaluation for improved results - Identify and mitigate common AI output risks such as hallucinations - Practice responsible AI use aligned with government standards ## Curriculum #### Module 1: Introduction to AI and Prompt Engineering - Overview of generative AI and language models - How AI assistants interpret and respond to prompts - Starting, managing, and continuing AI conversations - Understanding chat context and prompt chaining - Introduction to multimodal prompting #### Module 2: Crafting Effective AI Prompts - Principles of clear and effective prompt design - Zero-shot and few-shot prompting approaches - Using prompt frameworks to structure instructions - Iterative prompt refinement and experimentation - Evaluating AI outputs for quality and relevance #### Module 3: Practical Application and Challenges - Applying AI prompting to real government work tasks - Controlling writing style and tone with AI - Recognizing AI limitations, including hallucinations and bias - Ethical, privacy, and security considerations - Responsible AI use within government guidelines #### Module 4: Learning Activities & Knowledge Checks - Guided demonstrations and applied exercises - Scenario-based practice using work-related examples - Knowledge checks reinforcing key concepts ## Schedule - Jun 2, 2026 8:00am–12:00pm — Live Online - Jun 23, 2026 1:00pm–5:00pm — Live Online - Jul 14, 2026 8:00am–12:00pm — Live Online - Aug 4, 2026 1:00pm–5:00pm — Live Online - Aug 25, 2026 8:00am–12:00pm — Live Online - Sep 15, 2026 8:00am–12:00pm — Live Online - Oct 6, 2026 1:00pm–5:00pm — Live Online - Oct 27, 2026 8:00am–12:00pm — Live Online - Nov 17, 2026 1:00pm–5:00pm — Live Online - Dec 8, 2026 8:00am–12:00pm — Live Online ## Instructors ### Bruce Gay — Instructor Bruce is an engaging trainers and program manager who brings 25+ years practical experience to deliver effective and experiential training to students. Able to engage adult learners with a range of backgrounds and professional experiences. Successful at building effective stakeholder relationships and coordinating multi-disciplinary teams for solution delivery. Bruce has over 25 years of project and program management experience across multiple industries. He has a Masters degree from The George Washington University and a B.A. from the University of North Carolina Chapel Hill. Bruce currently runs his own freelance training and consulting business, helping project managers and team leaders improve their business skills, become better leaders, and achieve professional greatness. Bruce is a well-received speaker in the areas of design thinking, project management, cross-team collaboration, and AI tools for projects, and has presented at regional and international conferences. ### Steve Pesklo — Instructor Steve is an energetic trainer who focuses on applying technical concepts to everyday work practices. He is the founder and president of SoftLake Solutions, a company that specializes in providing data and AI applications to identify fraud for Internal Audit, Criminal Investigations, Forensic Accounting, Privacy, and Compliance. Steve brings a large amount of experience across multiple industries and government agencies. He is an expert in implementing large data analysis projects across the world, including Inland Revenue in the UK and Argentina, New Zealand, Africa and across Europe. Previously, he was the manager of Data Architecture and Data Services for a large mortgage company. He is a frequent speaker on data analytics and project management topics and speaks fluent German. He has been teaching at the Graduate School for over 10 years. Steve has an M.B.A. from the University of St. Thomas and a B.S. in Computer Science from California Lutheran University and the Universität Salzburg in Austria. He is certified as a Certified Fraud Examiner (CFE), Project Management Professional (PMP), and a Certified ScrumMaster (CSM). ### Brian Simms — Instructor Brian Simms is a seasoned educator and training leader with extensive experience developing and delivering innovative learning programs in project management and emerging technologies. Over the course of his career, he has designed adaptive learning models that combine instructor-led sessions, live online experiences, and self-paced study, ensuring professionals can access training in flexible and effective ways. His work has emphasized the integration of artificial intelligence into professional development, helping organizations and individuals understand how AI can be applied to solve real-world challenges in leadership, project execution, and decision-making. In addition to his instructional expertise, Brian has guided curriculum development, led large training initiatives, and advanced the use of collaboration tools that improve learner engagement and retention. His depth of experience and forward-looking perspective make him uniquely equipped to prepare federal professionals to navigate the complexities of data, project management, and the transformative potential of AI. ### Clarissa J. Corbin — Instructor Clarissa J. Corbin is an accomplished corporate trainer, project manager, and business consultant with over 25 years of experience designing and delivering impactful learning experiences. As President and CEO of Projections Training Solutions, she partners with federal agencies, private corporations, and international organizations to provide results-driven training in leadership, project management, business analysis, and emerging technologies. Clarissa has trained more than 10,000 professionals worldwide, serving clients such as the DoD, NASA, FEMA, Microsoft, Citibank, PNC Bank, Del Monte, and Symantec. Her expertise has taken her across the globe, leading initiatives in Singapore, China, Japan, South Korea, Africa, Jamaica, Trinidad & Tobago, and St. Thomas, USVI. Known for her ability to engage diverse audiences and create interactive, high-impact sessions, Clarissa equips participants with practical solutions they can apply immediately. At Graduate School USA (GSUSA), Clarissa is regarded as one of the most versatile and trusted instructors. She teaches across multiple programs. She played a pivotal role in redesigning the flagship “Managing for Results” course, while also contributing to the development and review of numerous others. Her contributions have earned her two GSUSA Customer Excellence Awards and a two-year appointment to the GSUSA Instructor Advisory Council, underscoring her commitment to innovation, quality, and learner success. ### Natalya H. Bah — Instructor Natalya Bah has been a part-time instructor at the Graduate School USA for over fifteen years. Natalya teaches across multiple curricula, including Leadership and Management, Project Management, and Human Resources. She has created a curriculum for the school, including Change Management Workshops and project management courses. She has served as an action learning coach, instructor, and facilitator for government leadership programs in the Center for Leadership and Management. Natalya also provides self-assessments and dynamic team-building sessions on behalf of the Graduate School USA. Outside of Graduate School USA, Ms. Bah is a self-employed business owner providing executive coaching, training, and consulting services to the public and private sectors. She created the Define and Achieve Your Goals Process™ and is a certified Birkman Method© Consultant. She received her Master of Science degree in Project Management from George Washington University’s School of Business, where she served as a teaching assistant and received the Project Management Award. She is also a certified Project Management Professional (PMP). ### Michiel Pruijssers Michiel is a Principal Designer and Forward Deployed Engineer at Microsoft's Industry Solutions Engineering Division, where he partners with strategic enterprise customers to architect and ship production AI systems. With over 15 years of experience, he operates at the intersection of user research, design, engineering, and cloud architecture, anchored by deep expertise in machine learning. His career spans senior roles at Snorkel AI, Determined.ai, and earlier Microsoft teams behind foundational AI products including LUIS.ai, Azure Bot Service, and Azure Stack, where he led both customer discovery and platform design for some of the industry's most technically ambitious ML offerings. He pairs rigorous qualitative research with hands-on building, shipping his own production SaaS products in Python while also teaching students through cohort-based AI courses. His instruction is grounded in real practice: what it takes to design, build, and operate AI systems that actually hold up in the wild. ## Pricing **Tuition:** $675