The College of the Muscogee Nation (CMN) recently hosted a hands-on website development with artificial intelligence workshop aimed at giving participants practical experience using AI to turn their own ideas into working websites.

The workshop was led by Richard Chance, a Cherokee Nation citizen, technology entrepreneur, and software developer with more than a decade of experience building technology across multiple industries. Chance is also the creator of IndigiCoder, an Indigenous-founded AI development platform designed to help people turn ideas into websites and applications using artificial intelligence.

Rather than focusing on a lecture about AI and what the technology may be capable of in the future, the workshop centered on building with it. Participants arrived with ideas for websites they wanted to create. During the two-hour workshop, Chance guided them through planning their projects, communicating their ideas effectively to AI, generating their initial websites with IndigiCoder, and refining what the technology produced.

By the end of the workshop, participants had created working websites based on projects they had wanted to build. “One of the biggest things I wanted participants to see is that you don’t have to be a traditional software developer to start building with these tools,” Chance said. “AI can lower some of the barriers, but learning how to communicate your ideas, evaluate what AI creates, and continue improving the results is becoming an important skill in itself.”

The beginner-friendly workshop required no previous coding experience. Participants who completed the workshop requirements were also eligible to earn a website development with AI micro-credential through CMN.

For Chance, the workshop is part of a broader effort to expand access to practical AI education in Indigenous communities. He hopes to continue partnering with tribal colleges, Native organizations, and communities to bring practical AI education to more people.

Chance also credited CMN and its president, Dr. Monte Randall, for supporting the effort and helping create the opportunity to bring hands-on AI education to the college. “I really appreciate Dr. Randall and the College of the Muscogee Nation for embracing this opportunity and creating a space for people to actually get hands-on with AI,” Chance said. “It’s one thing to talk about where technology is going. CMN is giving people an opportunity to experience it, build with it, and develop skills they can take with them.”

Chance further observed that “AI is changing incredibly fast, and Indigenous people should be at the forefront of that change. We shouldn’t be waiting to catch up. We should be building, innovating, and leading. Our communities shouldn’t just participate in the future of AI. We should help shape it.”