AI with Whit Is Now State of Texas DIR Certified — Here's What That Means
Something happened recently that I want to tell you about directly, because it matters — not just for my business, but for the communities I built this for.
AI with Whit is now officially certified by the Texas Department of Information Resources (DIR) as an approved AI Awareness Training Program for state and local government employees in Texas. The certification is valid through August 31, 2026, under Government Code Section 2054.5193, and it covers the AI Essentials for the Modern Workplace workshop.
That is a real credential, issued by the State of Texas CIO's office, that says this training meets every content standard the state requires for government AI education. And I want to be honest about why that hits different for me.
What DIR Certification Actually Is
The Texas Department of Information Resources oversees technology policy for state and local government in Texas. In fiscal year 2025-2026, the state began requiring that government employees receive AI awareness training — and they created a certification process to approve which programs qualify.
To get certified, a training program has to cover twelve specific content areas mandated by state law. Things like: what AI is and how it works, practical use cases for public sector employees, the risks and limitations of AI tools, legal prohibitions on certain AI uses, and five responsible use principles including human oversight, privacy, transparency, accuracy, and accountability.
The AI Essentials Workshop covers all twelve. That is not a coincidence — the curriculum was built around practical, responsible AI education from the start. The certification confirms that what I have been teaching aligns with what the state of Texas says government employees need to know.
Why This Matters for Government Employees
If you work for a Texas state agency, school district, city government, county office, public university, or special district — your organization is likely navigating AI training requirements right now. Leadership is asking HR to find something. HR is searching for something credible that does not require a technical background to understand.
DIR certification means your agency does not have to independently vet this training. The state has already reviewed and approved the curriculum. You can move directly to procurement.
The workshop is three hours, in-person or virtual, and built for general staff — not IT departments. No coding. No jargon. Participants spend most of the session watching live AI demos and practicing on their own devices. They leave with something they can use the next morning.
Why a Black Woman-Owned AI Education Brand Getting This Certification Is Worth Naming
I am going to say the quiet part out loud.
The AI industry has a well-documented problem with who gets to be the expert, who gets the contracts, and whose voice gets treated as authoritative. Government procurement in particular has historically been a space where small, diverse-owned businesses get filtered out before the conversation even starts.
Getting this certification does not fix that system. But it does mean that when a Texas state agency is looking for approved AI training, AI with Whit is on the list. That matters. Not just for my business, for every person who has ever been told that AI, tech, or government contracting was not for someone like them.
This certification is proof that practical, community-centered AI education meets the same standard as anything else out there. It just took someone willing to build it.
What the AI Essentials Workshop Covers
The workshop is structured around five modules, each designed to build on the last:
Module 1 — What Is AI and Why Does It Matter Now gives participants a plain-language foundation. Not a technical lecture — a clear, honest explanation of what AI tools can and cannot do, and why they are already embedded in software your team uses every day.
Module 2 — How AI Works in Your Workday is where the live demos happen. Email drafting, document summarization, brainstorming support, tone adjustment — all demonstrated in real time, applied to scenarios that look like actual government workplace tasks.
Module 3 — Prompting That Actually Works teaches the RTCF framework: Role, Task, Context, Format. Participants write and run their own prompt for a real task from their job before leaving this module. This is the highest-retention part of the session.
Module 4 — Risks, Limits, and What Not to Do covers hallucinations, data cutoffs, bias, and a risk-level framework for low, medium, and high-risk AI use cases. Legal prohibitions under Texas law — including restrictions on biometric identification and social scoring — are covered here.
Module 5 — Responsible Use and Your Organization's AI Policy closes the session with the five responsible use principles and a customized review of the client's actual AI policy language. Every delivery is tailored to the organization.
Who This Is For
This certification is relevant to any Texas government entity that needs to meet FY25-26 AI training requirements for their workforce. That includes state agencies and departments, K-12 school districts, city and county governments, public universities, and special purpose districts.
The workshop accommodates up to 40 participants per session and is available in-person or virtually. Private sector organizations are also eligible — the curriculum applies anywhere employees need a practical, responsible foundation in AI.
What Comes Next
If you are an HR director, L&D manager, department head, or agency administrator in Texas trying to figure out how to meet your AI training requirements before August 31, 2026, this is the conversation to have now, not in July.
Every engagement starts with a 30-minute discovery call. We confirm your agency's needs, delivery format, cohort size, and timeline. Then you get a proposal.
[Book a discovery call at aiwithwhit.com/government](https://aiwithwhit.com/government)
And if you are not in government, if you are a small business owner, a creator, a professional, or someone who has been waiting for AI training that actually speaks to you, the rest of what I do is still here. This certification is one lane. The whole road is still open.
Whitney Johnson is the founder of AI with Whit, a Houston-based AI education and consulting brand. She teaches professionals, creators, and organizations how to use AI as a tool for agency, creativity, and economic opportunity. Learn more at [aiwithwhit.com](https://aiwithwhit.com).
