Iona University Launches New AI-Focused Summer Program

Education in Real Life program to prepare students for the future of work in key industries

Published on Feb. 12, 2026

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Iona University has announced a new four-week summer program called "Education in Real Life" that will prepare students for the impact of artificial intelligence on the future of work. The program will engage with three critical industries - energy, construction, and hospitality - while also studying texts that provide context and meaning to the human experience. The program aims to help students understand how AI and digital technologies are reshaping these industries and the workforce.

Why it matters

As AI rapidly transforms the economic landscape and the future of work, this program reflects Iona University's commitment to preparing students not just for technical fluency in emerging technologies, but also grounding them in ethics, creativity, and human understanding - key skills needed to navigate the evolving workplace.

The details

The inaugural Education in Real Life program will launch this May and welcome 20 first- and second-year college students, each receiving a $1,000 stipend and 3 free credits. Through coursework, industry leader conversations, group activities, and site visits, students will examine how AI and digital tech are reshaping planning, performance, and workforce needs across energy, construction, and hospitality. They will connect this industry knowledge with readings on the relevant themes.

  • The Education in Real Life program will launch in May 2026.
  • The inaugural cohort will include 20 first- and second-year college students.

The players

Iona University

A private, Catholic, coeducational institution of learning in New Rochelle, New York, founded in 1940 and recently transitioned from college to university status.

Seamus Carey, Ph.D.

President of Iona University, who envisioned the Education in Real Life program to prepare students for the future of work in the age of AI.

Eos Energy Enterprises

One of the industry partners participating in the Education in Real Life program.

Consigli Construction Co., Inc.

One of the industry partners participating in the Education in Real Life program.

Union Square Hospitality Group

One of the industry partners participating in the Education in Real Life program.

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What they’re saying

“It is no secret that AI is having a profound effect on the workplace across nearly every sector of the economy, changing both the prospect of work and perhaps even its meaning, for the future our students will live in. The best way to ask questions about what's ahead is to start with what leaders in key sectors are already doing, and how they see the technology influencing their operations and opportunities.”

— Seamus Carey, President, Iona University (natlawreview.com)

“I want to express my gratitude to our partners for their willingness to contribute to our important and exciting experiment. They are on the front lines of workforce transformation, just as our faculty are on the front lines of educational transformation. This program will no doubt serve as a catalyst for future innovation at Iona. My hope is that it will also offer a model for how the world of study and the world of work can engage in richer conversation through human connection as well as technology.”

— Seamus Carey, President, Iona University (natlawreview.com)

What’s next

Applications to join the inaugural cohort of the Education in Real Life program are now open. The program will welcome 20 first- and second-year college students, each of whom will receive a $1,000 stipend and three (3) free credits as part of this innovative learning experience.

The takeaway

Iona University's new Education in Real Life program reflects a forward-looking approach to preparing students for the future of work, blending technical fluency in emerging technologies like AI with a grounding in ethics, creativity, and human understanding - key skills needed to navigate the evolving workplace landscape.