What happens when student and school leaders from all 50 states come together to explore, debate, and shape the future of artificial intelligence in education?
Over three memorable days in Boston and Cambridge, we had the chance to find out.
From July 17 to 19, America’s Youth AI Festival brought together students, school leaders, researchers, artists, visionaries, and other partners for a weekend centered on AI literacy, student voice, civic engagement, and responsible innovation. Across the Edward M. Kennedy Institute for the U.S. Senate, the MIT Media Lab, the MIT Museum, UMass Boston, and the JFK Library & Museum, young people were given the opportunity to help lead the national conversation. Here’s a brief recap of the weekend, along with in-depth summaries of each day from our friends at AASA, The School Superintendents Association.
Friday: The Country Comes to Boston and the Conversation Begins
Participants arrived at Logan Airport throughout the day and into the night on Friday the 17th. 131 student and school leaders would arrive in Boston aboard 42 inbound flights, while others traveled by train, bus, or car.
The weekend’s first formal activity was a Friday afternoon media availability at the Edward M. Kennedy Institute for the U.S. Senate, where student senators and education leaders from Alaska, Florida, Hawaii, Kansas, Maine, and Massachusetts shared candid perspectives on AI’s role in K-12 education, looking ahead to the work of the full student senate.
That evening, student senators and school leaders joined the winners of our “Me, Myself, and AI presented by Mathworks” arts competition and our “AI for a Better World presented by Britebound” competition for a welcome dinner at the JFK Library. Day of AI Executive Director Jeff Riley welcomed the group and urged students to seize a moment that calls for their leadership, before AI-assisted musical performances by students from Lawrence, Massachusetts brought the first day to an inspiring close.
Saturday: Student Voice and Creativity Across Boston and Cambridge
Saturday unveiled the full breadth of the Festival. At the EMK Institute, student senators were sworn in and began developing national recommendations for the responsible use of AI in K–12 schools. In committees, they debated safety, privacy, equity, AI literacy, teacher training, and the appropriate role of technology in learning.
The gathering marked only the second time since the EMK Institute opened in 2015 that students representing all 50 states had convened there. Meanwhile, school leaders participated in professional learning and policy simulations focused on AI’s implications for teaching, learning, and school leadership.
Across the Charles River, students showcased their “AI for a Better World” projects at the MIT Media Lab in a competition presented by Britebound and facilitated by MIT Solve. Afternoon presentations highlighted how young people are already harnessing AI to address real-world challenges. Honorees included a local team from Newton that developed an AI-powered diabetes support app, and a team from Durham, North Carolina that designed a low-cost, AI-enabled drone capable of locating natural-disaster survivors in real time. Attendees also heard from iRobot CEO and Co-Founder Colin Angle and MIT RAISE Director Dr. Cynthia Breazeal about preparing students to become thoughtful, ethical, and creative users of AI.
The day for all Festival participants concluded with “AI Live” at the MIT Museum, where talented artists delivered live, AI-enabled arts performances on Saturday evening, while winners of our nationwide “Me, Myself, and AI” contest shared artworks exploring the impact that AI could have on the world now and in 50 years, all thanks to the generosity of Mathworks.
Sunday: Turning Conversation Into Action
On Sunday, the student senators returned to the EMK Institute to complete their work. After a final morning of amendments and deliberation, more than 50 students delivered floor speeches in the Institute’s full-scale replica of the U.S. Senate Chamber. The resulting legislation, the STUDENTS FIRST Act, was approved by a final vote of 84–14.
The final policy reflects months of preparation and an intensive weekend of listening, negotiation, compromise, and collaboration among students from across the country. It will be released in the coming days through an exclusive national feature by NPR, followed by distribution to AASA’s network of more than 10,000 school system leaders nationwide.
More To Come
This weekend was made possible by a remarkable group of collaborators and supporters, including MIT RAISE; AASA, The School Superintendents Association; the Edward M. Kennedy Institute for the U.S. Senate; Mathworks; Britebound; the Vertex Foundation; the Lynch Foundation; Rokt; and the MIT pK–12 Initiative.
We’ll have much more to share in the days ahead, including the students’ final policy and nationwide coverage of their work through NPR and other media outlets.
For now, we hope the photos in the folder below capture some of the ambition, joy, and possibility that defined our inaugural America’s Youth AI Festival – and made this memorable weekend of student voice and leadership possible.