First Cohort: Fall 2026
Build Real AI.
Serve Real People.
Generative AI for Public Service (GAPS)
One semester at Austin Community College. Student teams design, build, and deploy an AI tool for a public institution.
In partnership with The Public Service Desk
First cohort in partnership with the ACC Bioscience Incubator
What Is GAPS?
One semester. One client. Design, build, and deploy an AI tool for a public institution.
Fall 2026 Cohort
10 interns
Spring 2027 Clients
Two clients, to be disclosed
Client interviews are underway
4 Roles. Diverse Teams.
4 positions per track. Teams are built with complementary skills.
Developers
Develop and deploy the AI tool
Designers
Shape the user experience
Researchers
Investigate needs and validate solutions
Product Managers
Define the product and steer the roadmap
Who Can Apply?
Any ACC student.
Any department. Any major. No tech or AI experience needed.
In partnership with ACC's Office of Experiential Learning.
Program Details
Length
One semester
16 weeks
Scope
One client per cohort
Training
In person, most Saturdays
Workspace
CGCS Rio Grande campus
Commitment
About 20 hours per week
Weekdays, plus Saturday training
Compensation
Unpaid for the first cohort
We're looking for grants to compensate our interns
What the Training Covers
Every cohort works through user experience research, design thinking methods, the software development lifecycle, and agentic engineering. Teams apply all of it to one real client problem.
Help Us Fill the GAPS
Each semester, a GAPS team works with one client to design, build, and deploy an AI tool. The Fall 2026 team works with the ACC Bioscience Incubator. Spring 2027 will have two clients, to be disclosed; client interviews are underway. If your organization wants one of those spots, or you want to help fund paid student roles, get in touch.
Contact:
Spring 2027 student applications are open. To apply, email stefano.casafrancalaos@austincc.edu.