Skill-A-Thon offers free AI training
JOEL MARTIN | Hagadone News Network | UPDATED 6 months, 2 weeks AGO
Joel Martin has been with the Columbia Basin Herald for more than 25 years in a variety of roles and is the most-tenured employee in the building. Martin is a married father of eight and enjoys spending time with his children and his wife, Christina. He is passionate about the paper’s mission of informing the people of the Columbia Basin because he knows it is important to record the history of the communities the publication serves. | August 20, 2025 12:45 AM
MOSES LAKE — The North Central Washington Tech Alliance is offering free courses to help locals put artificial intelligence to work for them, and offering some prizes to boot.
“Everything we do these days is all about AI,” said David Estrada, NCW Tech Alliance STEM Program manager for Moses Lake. “Your cars have AI, people have AI on their wrists in their smart watches, their telephone, computers, everything's AI down the road.”
The program is called the AI Skill-A-Thon, and it involves watching videos and then taking tests on ChatGPT, Copilot and other AI programs in either English or Spanish. Those who do will come out with some skills that will serve them well in the job market as well as earn a certificate for their LinkedIn account, Estrada said.
Besides, that, NCW Tech Alliance is offering cash prizes for the students who complete the most courses before Sept. 30. First-, second- and third-place winners will each win $500, or $1,000 if they win as a group, Estrada said.
There is no charge either for the instruction or to enter the contest. Participants must be 16 years old and have a free LinkedIn account. Then they register through a QR code and begin learning. As a participant earns certificates, they upload those certificates to qualify for the contest. The contest is open to residents of Chelan, Douglas, Grant, Okanogan, Adams, and Ferry counties.
AI has an infinite variety of uses, Estrada said, from sorting apples in a factory to creating advertising to translating between languages.
“Every certificate you get will (help) you potentially to get a job down the road,” he said. “That's our main focus.”
To begin learning, scan the QR code and follow the instructions. More information can be found at www.communityskilling.org or by contacting Estrada at 509-760-3020.
To join the AI Skill-A-Thon, scan this code or visit www.communityskilling.org.ARTICLES BY JOEL MARTIN
Space Burger booth open March 13-15
MOSES LAKE — Those who can’t wait for the Grant County Fair can get their Space Burger fix next weekend, according to an announcement from the Lioness Club of Moses Lake. The iconic Grant County sandwiches will be available at the Grant County Fairgrounds March 13-15, according to the announcement. There is no admission fee to get into the fairgrounds that weekend.
SENIOR EVENTS: March 2026
COLUMBIA BASIN — Plays, art shows, auctions and more await seniors in the Columbia Basin this month. Here are some opportunities to get out and about in March.
Valentine’s Day cards flood Brookdale Hearthstone with love
MOSES LAKE — Residents at Brookdale Hearthstone Assisted Living in Moses Lake got Valentine’s Day greetings from across the country last month. “I believe that the only states we have not received (cards from) yet are Vermont and Maine,” Lifestyle Director Imelda Broyles said Feb. 24. “We keep receiving new cards every single day. They have not stopped. My residents are in awe with every single one of the cards that we’ve been receiving.” The Hearts Across America project started as a way for children in school classrooms to exchange Valentine’s Day cards with classes in other states or even countries, but the idea has expanded to senior living facilities, according to the project’s social media.