Instructure, the leading learning ecosystem and maker of Canvas LMS, powered by AWS, today announced it will build AI-powered tools to expand learning access for underserved communities worldwide, supported by the Amazon Web Services, Inc. (AWS) Education Equity Initiative. The effort advances two workstreams.
The first addresses a persistent barrier: many under-resourced institutions remain on legacy, on-premise systems not because they want to, but because migration has been too expensive and complex. AI-powered LMS migration tooling is designed to make that path faster and more affordable, so more learners in those communities can access modern learning infrastructure. The second accelerates Canvas Career capabilities to support workforce development, continuing education, community colleges and public-sector programs, with a focus on learner populations including adult learners returning to education.
AWS collaboration accelerates AI-powered migration tools and Canvas Career capabilities designed to expand access for underserved learners
For millions of learners worldwide, the biggest barrier to quality education is not motivation but circumstance. Limited access to technology and the internet, language barriers and geographic isolation leave entire communities without modern learning infrastructure. Through the AWS Education Equity Initiative, Instructure and AWS will address this issue, aiming to reach approximately 900,000 learners in its first year, including roughly 280,000 underserved learners, with a path to reach approximately 5.4 million learners over four years.
“Education equity means building systems that work for learners in every environment, including those who face the greatest barriers to opportunity,” said Melissa Loble, chief learning officer at Instructure. “Through this collaboration with AWS, we are accelerating tools that help more institutions modernize their learning environments and connect learners to workforce pathways. Instructure is committed to helping institutions expand opportunity through scalable learning infrastructure and workforce-connected learning experiences.”
“AWS is proud to power Instructure’s reach across more than 100 countries and millions of learners,” said Aanya Niaz, Education Lead, Amazon Web Services. “They’ve built Canvas Career to serve workforce and continuing education programs that often fall outside traditional higher education models. We want to make these tools and infrastructure that drive positive learning outcomes accessible to educators and learners who need them most.”
Reducing the Barriers to LMS Migration
Many institutions remain on outdated, on-premise learning systems not because they choose to, but because migration is expensive, complex and resource-intensive. Institutions with the fewest IT resources often face the steepest path to modernization. AWS support will help Instructure build AI-powered migration tooling designed to reduce that friction, making it faster and less costly for institutions to move to Canvas from legacy LMS platforms, self-managed open-source LMS environments, homegrown systems and other non-standard platforms. The goal is to give more institutions a realistic path to modern, cloud-based learning infrastructure so administrators and educators can focus on outcomes rather than overhead.
Expanding Canvas Career for Workforce and Continuing Education Programs
The initiative will also accelerate Canvas Career, Instructure’s platform for skills-first, workforce-aligned learning. Canvas Career is built to serve learners and programs that often fall outside the scope of traditional higher education tools, including continuing education programs, K-12 workforce initiatives, community colleges, vocational training centers, public-sector workforce programs and adult learners.
Development will address two areas. The first is access: secure, low-connectivity infrastructure for correctional facilities and remote environments, and accessibility frameworks to support learners with disabilities. The second is outcomes: AI-powered skill mapping to align training with job requirements, credential and certification management for stackable credentials and workforce badges and employer tools to connect learning pathways with employment pipelines.
A Commitment to Measurable Impact
The success of this initiative will be measured by whether more learners in underserved communities can access education that changes the trajectory of their careers and lives. In its first year, Instructure aims to reach approximately 900,000 learners, including roughly 280,000 from underserved communities, with a path to approximately 5.4 million learners over four years, roughly 1.8 million of them underserved. Instructure will report progress publicly, beginning in the second half of 2026 and continuing each quarter, including institutional adoption, learner reach and, as programs mature, workforce outcomes such as credential attainment, program completion and job placement.
The first year focuses on institutions and learners who have historically had the least access to modern learning technology in the United States, Brazil, Mexico, and the United Kingdom, expanding to additional regions over time. That work centers on four groups:
K-12 districts with workforce programs serving rural and first-generation students
Correctional facilities building credential pathways for incarcerated learners
Community colleges serving adult and budget-constrained students
Workforce development organizations, including vocational training centers and public-sector programs
This is a starting point. The structural barriers to education access run deeper than any single initiative can address, and Instructure and AWS intend to keep building. Future phases of this work will expand the tools launched today and reach more institutions and learners, expanding opportunities for learners everywhere.
