BONNERS FERRY — Two Boundary County youth were among student leaders from across the United States who got together this past weekend to explore the future of artificial intelligence and its role in education.

James Cederquist and Colton Larsson, students at Boundary County Middle School, and BCMS principal Mark Fisk took part in America's Youth AI Festival, held July 17-19 in Boston and Cambridge during the nation’s 250th celebration.

The first-of-its-kind gathering brought students and school leaders together with researchers, artists, visionaries and others for a weekend centered on AI literacy, student voice, civic engagement and responsible innovation, organizers said.

Arriving in Boston via planes — a total of 42 flights — trains and automobiles, as well as a bus or two, students and school leaders spent Friday afternoon meeting with media 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 their thoughts and ideas on AI’s role in K-12 education, setting the stage for the rest of the weekend.

Following the presentation, student senators and school leaders joined the winners of the “Me, Myself, and AI presented by Mathworks” arts competition and the “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."

After student senators were sworn in Saturday, the 100 students got down to the work of developing national recommendations for the responsible use of AI in K-12 schools. Debate ranged from safety and privacy to equity, AI literacy and the appropriate role of technology in learning. Teacher training was also part of the discussion, as were a number of other topics, as the students broke out into committees to parse the wide-ranging subject.

Organizers said the conference marked only the second time since the EMK Institute opened in 2015 that students representing all 50 states had gathered there. While students were discussing AI's role in education, 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 presented their “AI for a Better World” projects at the MIT Media Lab. Afternoon presentations centered on how young people are already using AI to address real-world challenges. Among programs honored were an AI-powered diabetes support app created by a Newton, Mass., team and a low-cost, AI-enabled drone by a Durham, North Carolina, team designed to locate natural-disaster survivors in real time.

Students also got a chance to hear from iRobot CEO and co-founder Colin Angle and MIT RAISE Director Dr. Cynthia Breazeal about being thoughtful, ethical and creative users of AI.

Concluding the evening was “AI Live” at the MIT Museum, where artists delivered live, AI-enabled arts performances and winners of the national “Me, Myself, and AI” contest shared artworks exploring the impact that AI could have on the world now and in the future.

On Sunday, the student senators turned conversation into action, as after a morning of debate and amendment, more than 50 students spoke on AI's role in education in the EMK 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.

    America’s Youth AI Festival's student senators pose for a group photo.
  

    Educators from throughout the United States gather for a group photo at America’s Youth AI Festival, held July 17-21.