Hidden Gems

Hidden Gems: Creating custom Google Gems for staff

This event will take place on April 7th, 2026, 1:30 pm - 2:30 pm ET. 

In the context of AI, “Gems” are custom versions of the Gemini AI assistant designed to handle specific tasks. By pre-loading these tools with your specific instructions, rubrics, or preferences, you create a "gem" that performs a specialized function reliably, saving you time and ensuring consistency across your teaching and administrative work.

This dynamic session will feature 14-minute breakout rooms, where you can explore three practical “gems.”

We’ll start with an introduction to custom GPTs and their applications, then dive into hands-on demos and practice opportunities. The event concludes with guidance on creating your own gems and reinforcing the CORE framework for effective AI integration.

Open to all staff, this event promises actionable strategies, interactive learning, and fresh insights to enhance your work.

Register for the April 7th event

Hidden Gems topics:

How to Build a Gem Job Aid

An easy to use job aid that explains what a Google Gem is and how to build one. 

Build a Brainstorming Companion

You will learn to configure a custom AI tool designed to generate and refine ideas for any professional project.

This session highlights how a dedicated brainstorming tool can overcome creative blocks and improve team collaboration by providing immediate, diverse perspectives on a topic. Participants will walk away with an understanding of the necessary prompts to build this resource and will successfully create their own companion to support future Indiana University initiatives.

Communications Multiplier

Need to get the word out but don't have time to reformat your message for a range of communication channels? This Gem will create a messaging series based on a single, detail-rich source document.

Transform rough drafts, meeting notes, or "brain dumps" into 5 different formats -- plus key elements like subject lines, teasers, and FAQs:

  1. Action email (internal/official)
  2. Newsletter blurb (awareness)
  3. Feature story (wider audience)
  4. Social hub (FB, IG, Slack, Teams)
  5. LinkedIn post (impact)

The Gem will make necessary adjustments to voice and tone, while ensuring a consistent IU style throughout. You just serve as the human reviewer and final editor!

Coverage Captain

This session guides staff in building a custom Google Gem designed to streamline student work-shift scheduling and manage availability. Participants will be able to enter student availability and shifts needing coverage and the Gem will generate a schedule that can be easily posted, emailed, or saved.  

IU Policy Helper

Learn how to build and use a gem to help locate and summarize relevant university policy information from the Policy.IU website.

This gem focuses on the content of the university policy website and provides citations to policies that may be related to policy questions. This gem will streamline one of the more complicated and potentially confusing parts of working in a staff role at IU.

Object Code Helper

Learn to develop a gem designed to simplify the identification of financial categories for university transactions.  This gem helps find the correct object code for any purchase. 

The Power Duo: Automating University Workflows with NotebookLM & Gemini Gems

Learn how to bridge the gap between dense institutional data and daily action by integrating NotebookLM with custom Gemini Gems. This session demonstrates how to transform departmental PDFs, policies, and transcripts into a private, citable intelligence engine that drafts accurate grants, reports, compliance audits, and program materials. You will walk away with a step-by-step workflow to build a "Digital Specialist" that understands your team’s specific guidelines and operates in your institutional voice. It is the ultimate efficiency upgrade for administrators and research staff looking to reclaim time while maintaining the highest standards of accuracy and privacy.