Old Dominion University is operationalizing AI literacy rather than treating it as a standalone workshop topic. With National AI Literacy Day spotlighting student readiness, ODU launched MonarchSphere, an AI incubator designed to connect students, faculty, and industry partners through real-world use cases. ODU’s effort is built through a partnership with Google Public Sector and focuses on linking learning objectives to practical projects—aiming to define AI literacy as something students practice in collaboration with faculty and external partners. The initiative is positioned as a hands-on model for institutions seeking to translate AI awareness into curriculum and applied experiences. In the higher-ed context, the development is notable because it ties AI learning directly to an ecosystem: students are not only users of AI tools, but contributors to projects with industry alignment. The structure also supports faculty development by embedding AI implementation into university partnerships. As more universities respond to rising AI expectations in admissions, coursework, and career outcomes, MonarchSphere represents an institutional choice: build an incubator model that makes AI capability visible through applied use cases.