Different Starting Points, Real Impact: What We’re Seeing from the Google Prompting Scholarship Program

At Digital Nova Scotia, we dedicate a significant amount of time to advancing AI initiatives, supporting companies in developing new products, exploring emerging technologies, and driving innovation across the tech sector. At the same time, we’re very aware that AI doesn’t land the same way for everyone. That’s why the Google Prompting Scholarship Program, delivered in partnership with the Halifax Partnership and Google, has been such an important piece of work for us. It’s focused on small businesses and organizations across Nova Scotia, meeting people where they are. For some participants, the impact is immediate, but modest in the best way: less time editing, clearer emails, faster documentation, smoother workflows. Small changes that make the workday feel lighter and improve productivity levels. For others, the shift is bigger. Learning how to communicate clearly with AI opens up entirely new ways of working, supporting analysis, planning, automation, and decision-making in places they hadn’t considered before. More than 60% of the program’s seats are already filled, and what we’re hearing from participants reflects that range of experiences. Nearly everyone who’s completed the program is now using prompting techniques in their day-to-day work. Some describe better clarity and confidence. Others talk about discovering use cases that are changing how their teams approach routine tasks altogether.

“The program provided a great foundation on the fundamentals of prompting and expanded my knowledge of AI tools. It boosted our organization's efficiency by supporting tasks like drafting emails, summarizing notes, estimating costs and scheduling project milestones. Without being introduced to those use cases, I wouldn't have thought to use AI in those ways.” – Andrea Chiu Tsang, Atlantic Economic Council

The program itself is short and practical (about seven hours, self-paced) and designed to move quickly from understanding how AI works to actually using it. Later modules, in particular, have helped participants apply prompting to real situations like data analysis, presentations, emails, and automation. What’s been most encouraging for us is seeing that understanding of AI doesn’t have to be “all or nothing.” Meaningful value can show up as time saved, better information, or clearer communication, and for some organizations, it can be truly transformative. As an industry association, we’ll continue to support the full spectrum of AI adoption in Nova Scotia, from advanced innovation to everyday, practical use. This program sits right at that intersection, helping businesses of all sizes take their next step, whatever that looks like for them. If you or someone on your team are interested in a free scholarship to the Google Prompting Essentials course, a practical, self-paced introduction to using artificial intelligence (AI) effectively, apply here.