GovAcademy opens enrollment for the 2026 Government AI Lab Capstone Practicum (GA-050), a 45-hour intensive program where federal professionals build AI implementation proposals reviewed by senior government practitioners.
GovAcademy opened enrollment for the 2026 cohort of its Government AI Lab Capstone Practicum (GA-050) on January 25, 2026. The 45-hour intensive program represents the pinnacle of GovAcademy's AI and Data learning path, requiring participants to build, evaluate, and present a complete AI implementation proposal for a federal agency use case.
The 2026 cohort is capped at 120 participants to maintain the quality of the panel review process. Participants must have completed at least two prerequisite AI and Data courses before enrolling in the Capstone.
The program structure spans 12 weeks, with participants working in cross-agency teams of 4 to develop AI implementation proposals covering problem definition, solution architecture, procurement strategy, risk register, testing plan, and performance measurement framework.
The final two weeks culminate in a public panel presentation to a review board including representatives from NIST, GSA's AI Community of Practice, and senior federal officials from agencies relevant to the teams' proposed use cases.
The 2025 Capstone cohort produced 28 AI implementation proposals, of which 11 have advanced to formal feasibility study stage at participating agencies and 3 have received pilot program funding. One proposal — an AI-assisted veterans benefits processing system — is currently in procurement as a multi-year development contract.
Alumni of the Capstone receive GovAcademy's highest credential, the Capstone Diploma, recognized by NIST's AI Community of Practice as demonstrating advanced federal AI program management competency.
GovAcademy has partnered with the Partnership for Public Service to offer Capstone alumni recognition through the Partnership's Federal Technology and Data network, providing ongoing professional community access and alumni networking opportunities.