LaunchReady.ai
Professional Continuing Education
Course Catalog · Fall 2026 · Taught through Ivy Tech Community College
WF 101G
AI Essentials: Google AI Essentials Prep.
A practical, strategic introduction to AI for working professionals, taught live online by Harrison Painter through Ivy Tech Community College. You practice prompt engineering with structured frameworks, work hands-on in Google's Gemini, study responsible AI and the role of human oversight, and finish with an applied project on a real task. The course builds readiness for the Google AI Essentials credential.
Placement Meets you at Level 1: The Cadet → Trains toward Level 2: The Ensign
I. Course Information
| Course number | WF 101G (LaunchReady catalog) · COMPGAI1 (Ivy Tech catalog) |
|---|---|
| Course title | AI Essentials (Google AI Essentials Prep) |
| Track | WF: Workforce Development |
| Platform | G: Google Gemini |
| Term | Fall 2026 (academic year 2026-27) |
| Offerings | Friday, September 25 · Friday, October 16 · Friday, October 23, 2026; each 9:00 a.m. to 3:00 p.m. ET |
| Location | Live online, instructor-led, through Ivy Tech (Sellersburg) |
| Format | Online lecture and hands-on practice, five module activities, and an applied AI project |
| Contact hours | 5.0 |
| Credit | Non-credit professional continuing education; Ivy Tech Certificate of Completion at 700 of 1,000 course points |
| Credential readiness | Google AI Essentials |
| Registration and tuition | Through Ivy Tech Community College; dates also on the events page |
| Instructor | Harrison Painter, Founder, LaunchReady.ai; author, You Have Already Been Replaced by AI |
II. How Course Numbers Work
The first digit of every LaunchReady course number is the level of The 7 Levels of AI Proficiency the course meets you at. WF 101G meets you at Level 1: The Cadet, assumes no prior AI experience, and trains toward Level 2: The Ensign. A 300-level course meets you at Level 3: The Lieutenant and trains toward Level 4: The Commander. The letter suffix names the platform taught in the room: G for Google's Gemini here, C for Claude in the working-session courses.
Placement is measured: the free 10-minute assessment gives you your current level and, with it, your course number. Every course closes by re-checking where you stand.
III. Learning Outcomes
Upon successful completion of this course, participants will be able to:
- Illustrate fundamental concepts of artificial intelligence, including how AI models are trained to learn from data, and the capabilities and limitations of AI tools.
- Identify AI applications across industries and their integration into workflows for content creation, problem-solving, and process automation.
- Analyze opportunities for using generative AI to improve productivity, evaluate workflows for optimization, and justify process improvements.
- Apply structured prompting techniques using established frameworks to compose prompts that yield relevant, high-quality outputs.
- Analyze the privacy, security, and ethical implications of AI implementation, including data-handling practices and their impacts at the organizational and societal levels.
- Audit AI-generated outputs for bias, hallucinations, and security vulnerabilities, applying critical human oversight to ensure data integrity, reliability, and accountability.
- Develop a continuous learning strategy to evaluate emerging AI tools and assess their suitability for specific workplace applications.
- Deploy generative AI on a real task, measuring outcomes and reporting results against defined metrics.
IV. Course Modules
Five modules take you from AI literacy to responsible, strategic use at work. Each module carries one graded activity; the course closes with the applied project.
| Module | Title | Focus |
|---|---|---|
| Module 1 | AI Essentials | AI, machine learning, and generative AI beyond the buzzwords: what today's systems can and cannot do |
| Module 2 | AI-Powered Productivity | Practical workflows for content creation, analysis, and operational efficiency, with human-in-the-loop execution |
| Module 3 | Prompt Engineering | Writing clear instructions, iterating on prompts, and critically evaluating outputs with structured frameworks |
| Module 4 | Responsible AI | Identifying and reducing bias, spotting hallucinations, protecting privacy, and managing security risk |
| Module 5 | AI Strategy and Emerging Horizons | Scanning trends, evaluating new tools, and designing a strategy that balances innovation with governance |
V. Prerequisites and Completion
Before class Prerequisites
Basic computer and digital literacy, including proficiency with web browsers. College-level reading and writing skills. A computer or laptop with a stable broadband connection and a current browser. Lecture slides and notes are provided by the instructor; no prior AI experience is assumed.
In the course Five activities
Each module carries one activity designed to practice and apply the skills as you learn them, submitted in writing, with space to ask questions, share insights, and work through problems with other learners. Activities are half of the course grade.
To complete The Applied AI Project
The course culminates in an applied project: deploy a generative AI tool on an authentic task, define success metrics, measure outcomes, and present results and risk controls to stakeholders, submitted as a written report. The project is the other half of the grade. A minimum of 700 of 1,000 course points earns the Ivy Tech Certificate of Completion.
VI. Frequently Asked Questions
What is WF 101G, and how does it relate to Ivy Tech?
WF 101G is the LaunchReady catalog listing for AI Essentials (Google AI Essentials Prep), a live online course taught by Harrison Painter through Ivy Tech Community College. Ivy Tech is the institution of record (its catalog code is COMPGAI1); registration, tuition, and student policies run through Ivy Tech. The course covers AI fundamentals, prompt engineering, hands-on work in Google's Gemini, responsible AI, and an applied project.
Is this the Google AI Essentials certificate itself?
No. Google AI Essentials is Google's own credential. This course is instructor-led preparation: it builds the skills and readiness for that credential, and completing it earns an Ivy Tech Certificate of Completion (minimum 700 of 1,000 course points).
What are the prerequisites for WF 101G?
Basic computer and digital literacy, including proficiency with web browsers; college-level reading and writing skills; and a computer or laptop with a stable broadband connection. No prior AI experience is assumed.
How much does WF 101G cost, and how do I register?
Registration and tuition run through Ivy Tech Community College. Current offerings (September 25, October 16, and October 23, 2026, each 9:00 a.m. to 3:00 p.m. ET, live online) are listed on the Ivy Tech class page and on the events page.
What level of The 7 Levels of AI Proficiency is WF 101G for?
The first digit of every LaunchReady course number is the level of The 7 Levels of AI Proficiency the course meets you at. WF 101G meets you at Level 1: The Cadet, assumes no prior AI experience, and trains toward Level 2: The Ensign. The letter suffix names the platform: G for Google's Gemini. The free 10-minute assessment works as the placement step for the catalog.
Register for a fall offering through Ivy Tech, or bring measured AI training to your team through LaunchReady.
The 7 Levels of AI Proficiency assessment is free and takes 10 minutes.