Forum Discussion

Michal_Plawsiuk's avatar
Dec 16, 2025

Request for guidance/contact – pro bono AZ-900 training for students

Hello,
I’m reaching out with a question related to Microsoft Partners and possible ways to support an educational, non-profit initiative.

I run my own IT company and work with cloud solutions professionally. In addition, I teach/lecture in education out of passion (at a university and a higher-education school). I’m also a Microsoft Certified Trainer (MCT) and currently hold 9 active Microsoft certifications. Separately, I am the president of the Horyzont Wiedzy Association (https://horyzontwiedzy.edu.pl), a non-profit organization whose statutory mission is to promote IT knowledge.

As part of our association, we would like to organize pro bono “AZ-900 – Microsoft Azure Fundamentals” classes for high-school students (IT-focused classes) in our city, including students from multiple schools where I’m not formally employed. The goal is to help students get familiar with real-world technologies used in companies and give them an accessible entry point into cloud computing.

We originally planned a 2-day format rather than a 1-day session so students could spend more time working hands-on and actually experience the cloud in practice (not only through theory). For this approach, access to affordable or free lab environments would be essential. Unfortunately, purchasing labs for a non-profit association is a significant expense for us.

I previously asked about using Microsoft Learn for Educators (MSLE) resources for this initiative, but I was informed that MSLE benefits/lab environments are exclusive to accredited academic institutions—so, as an association (not a registered school), we cannot rely on MSLE for these sessions.

Could you please advise whether there is any Microsoft Partner-related program/pathway that could support this kind of non-profit educational activity (e.g., lab access, Azure credits, vouchers, community/education enablement options)?

Our intention is strictly non-commercial and non-profit, and we would be happy to align with any required guidelines or reporting expectations.

Thank you in advance for your direction and any contact you can share.

3 Replies

  • Hi Michal - Thank you for sharing the details of your initiative. It’s great to see efforts focused on giving students early exposure to cloud technologies.

    At this time, our primary focus is on educator trainings; however, if you haven’t already reviewed it, I recommend exploring the Student Certifications – Student Hub | Microsoft Learn. This resource may be helpful in supporting your student-focused goals, offering curated learning paths, guidance, and certification resources designed specifically for students.  This would be a good starting point for your program. Hope this helps.

    • Michal_Plawsiuk's avatar
      Michal_Plawsiuk
      MCT

      Thank you very much for your response and for the suggestion regarding the Student Certifications – Student Hub. I completely understand that Microsoft's current priority is educator trainings. Anyway, we will continue to deliver free classes, but for now with limited lab access (based on the $100 Azure for Students credit).

Resources