Education equity initiative targets costly LMS migrations while expanding workforce and continuing education capabilities
For institutions serving communities with limited resources, adopting modern learning technology can be easier said than done. Legacy systems, limited IT capacity and the cost of migration can keep educators and learners from benefiting from newer digital learning infrastructure.
Instructure and Amazon Web Services (AWS) are working to change that.
Through support from the AWS Education Equity Initiative, Instructure will develop AI-powered tools designed to simplify LMS migration while accelerating Canvas Career capabilities for workforce development and continuing education programs.
The initiative aims to reach approximately 900,000 learners during its first year, including roughly 280,000 underserved learners, with a path to approximately 5.4 million learners over four years, including roughly 1.8 million underserved learners.
“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.”
Tackling the Cost and Complexity of Migration
Moving from an aging LMS to a modern cloud-based platform can require significant resources. This is particularly challenging for institutions with small IT teams and constrained budgets.
Instructure will use AWS support to develop AI-powered migration tooling that is intended to reduce the time, cost and complexity associated with moving to Canvas.
The tools will be designed to support migrations from legacy LMS platforms, self-managed open-source systems, homegrown learning environments and other non-standard platforms.
By lowering the barriers to migration, the initiative aims to help more institutions adopt modern learning infrastructure while reducing the technology management burden placed on administrators and educators.
Expanding the Role of Learning Technology
Modern infrastructure is only one part of the equation. The collaboration will also expand Canvas Career, Instructure’s platform for skills-first, workforce-aligned learning.
Canvas Career is designed for learning environments that often sit outside conventional higher education, including continuing education programs, K-12 workforce initiatives, community colleges, vocational training centers, public-sector workforce programs and adult learners.
“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.”
The initiative will focus on making learning more accessible in challenging environments. Planned development includes secure, low-connectivity infrastructure for correctional facilities and remote environments, along with accessibility frameworks designed to support learners with disabilities.
It will also strengthen connections between learning and employment through AI-powered skill mapping, credential and certification management for stackable credentials and workforce badges, and employer tools that connect education pathways with employment pipelines.
Measuring the Results
Instructure and AWS will track the initiative through measurable indicators, including institutional adoption and learner reach. As programs mature, reporting will also include workforce outcomes such as credential attainment, program completion and job placement.
Public reporting will begin in the second half of 2026 and continue quarterly.
The first year will concentrate on the United States, Brazil, Mexico and the United Kingdom, with plans to expand to additional regions.
The initial focus will include:
- 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
“Education equity” extends beyond simply providing access to technology. For Instructure and AWS, the initiative is designed to help institutions build learning environments that can serve more learners and connect education with tangible career opportunities.
The first phase is a starting point, with future efforts expected to expand the tools developed through the collaboration and reach additional institutions and learners around the world.