Canva up-skills 70 Million educators globally with free certification course

Canva has significantly increased its global education user base, adding 40 million new users in the past year alone, bringing the total to 70 million teachers and students. 

The surge is attributed to the integration of AI tools and the growing adoption of visual communication in educational institutions like the University of California, New York City Public Schools, and the New South Wales Department of Education.

In response to the rising demand, Canva has launched a Teacher Certification course aimed at enhancing the skills of educators for the visual economy. 

The newly introduced free Teacher Certification course is designed to upskill 30 million educators in digital literacy. Spanning 60 minutes, the course features video tutorials and hands-on activities, allowing teachers to learn at their own pace. 

The course aims to transform lesson planning, design, and delivery through visual communication, equipping educators with the tools to foster creativity and digital literacy among students. Upon completion, teachers receive an official certification.

Canva’s presence now spans over 640,000 schools worldwide. In the last year alone, the education community created over 1 billion designs. In October, Canva introduced AI-powered educational tools at scale, which have since seen a significant increase in usage—50% more by teachers and 107% more by students. 

A recent Canva survey of 1,000 K-12 teachers in the US revealed that 92% find AI beneficial for addressing workplace challenges, with many open to exploring further AI applications in education.

Jason Wilmot, Head of Education at Canva, highlighted the role of AI in this growth:

“AI is fueling both our growth within education and the urgency to build skills for tomorrow’s workforce. Schools and teachers are on the front lines of creating a safe learning environment for students as well as preparing them with skills needed to compete in a global economy with AI as a colleague.

“As partners in this work, we’re answering the demand for teachers to continue upskilling their use of Canva through the new certification. Prepared teachers are better positioned to help students thrive.”