Foundations
Where to begin if you don’t yet have a strong grasp of what AI is or how to use it well.
Before you click anything
The two required courses below are the foundation for everything else on this site. They were built by people who think very carefully about how to use AI well, and they are free. Don’t skip them.
The first course teaches you how to think about working with AI. The second teaches you the tool. Take them in order.
If you are a LeaderSource staff member, the two required courses are mandatory. You are accountable to your Country Team Leader and Regional Leader for completing them.
If you are a ministry leader from outside LeaderSource, both are strongly recommended.
Required courses
Required
1. AI Fluency: Framework & Foundations
Do not skip this one. It teaches a thinking framework for collaborating with AI – in a way that is effective, efficient, ethical and safe. You will come away knowing not just how to use AI but when to delegate to it and when not to.
Required
2. Claude 101
The starting point with Claude – currently the best AI tool in our opinion. What Claude is, how it differs from other AI tools, and how to use the main features – Projects, Artifacts, Skills, Connectors. Aimed at non-technical users.
Recommended next
Once the required courses are complete, these are worth doing.
Highly recommended
AI Capabilities and Limitations
A deeper grounding in what large language models actually are, what they can do reliably and where they fail. Worth doing for anyone who wants a stronger conceptual base. Sets realistic expectations.
Recommended
AI Fluency for Nonprofits
The frameworks from AI Fluency applied to the nonprofit context. Co-developed with GivingTuesday, built specifically for mission-driven, resource-constrained organizations. Recommended for anyone whose work routinely involves AI.
More courses
Anthropic Academy has additional free courses worth exploring once you have the foundations.
If English is not your first language
The courses above are in English. Three options will help.
Browser auto-translate. Chrome and Edge translate web pages in place. Right-click on the course page and choose Translate. For Skilljar pages (where these courses live), an unofficial Chrome extension called SkillBridge translates the courses into 30+ languages.
YouTube auto-translated captions. Most course videos are on YouTube. Click the gear icon, choose Subtitles, Auto-translate, then your language. Quality varies but is usually fairly good.
Claude itself. Once you have access to Claude, use it as your translator. Paste a course transcript or article and ask: “Read this and explain it to me in [your language].” Or: “Summarize this lesson for me in [your language].” Claude handles this well and gives you a daily reason to use the tool.
After Track 1
You will have a working understanding of what AI is, what it can and cannot do, and how to think about collaborating with it. You will know enough to start using AI well in your work, and enough to recognize when you are using it poorly.
A reflection question to sit with before moving on: where do you see AI fitting into your current work, and what concerns or hesitations do you carry into it?