BONNERS FERRY — Two Boundary County students are among students from throughout the United States who will convene on Boston next month to help draft a national AI policy for public K-12 classrooms and learn about latest AI breakthroughs.

The student senators, who will be representing the state of Idaho, are James Cederquist and Colton Larsson. Also representing Boundary County Middle School is principal Mark Fisk, who will serve as the delegation's education leader.

"I'm so excited for our students to represent Idaho," Boundary County School District Superintendent Jan Bayer said.

The trio were announced as Idaho's representatives in mid-June by the School Superintendents Association and the Edward M. Kennedy Institute for the United States Senate. The students will be taking part in the 2026 Leadership and Innovation Fellowship at America’s Youth AI Festival, a first-of-its-kind gathering taking place July 17-19, 2026, in Boston and Cambridge during the nation’s 250th celebration.

The fellowship will bring together representatives from across the U.S. — two “student senators” from each state, and 50 school system leaders, for a three-day leadership residency on AI. The students and school leaders will explore how artificial intelligence can be used responsibly, ethically, and productively in schools, communities, and with the broader society that students will inherit.

The participants will be separated into two groups. Student senators will gather at the Edward M. Kennedy Institute to deliberate and pass a new “National AI Policy” for public K-12 classrooms, which AASA will share with its network of 10,000+ school leaders following the event. Student voice is a key element in AI implementation, but is often overlooked. Students will offer their insight on how AI should be incorporated and taught throughout the country. Their work will have real-world impact - a policy made for students, by students.

The 50 school leaders will participate in workshops with MIT RAISE, Day of AI, and Kennedy Institute personnel, including Dr. Cynthia Breazeal, Director of MIT RAISE and one of Time Magazine’s 100 most influential people in AI. Together they will discuss best practices and learn about responsible AI implementation, school system leadership, and the future of K–12 education.

America’s Youth AI Festival will be bringing together a total of 250 students, educators, school leaders, and partners for programs focused on AI literacy, civic engagement, student leadership, and the future of learning. In addition to the Student Senate, the festival weekend includes a “Me, Myself, and AI” student art contest, with winners showcased at the MIT Museum, on July 18; an “AI for a Better World” competition presented by Britebound and facilitated by MIT Solve, with five winning student teams from across the country sharing their solutions to community and global problems at the MIT Media Lab, on July 18; a live, AI-enabled art performance at the MIT Museum entitled “AI Live” presented by the Mathworks, on July 18; and a welcome reception at the John F. Kennedy Presidential Library and Museum, on July 17.

“Artificial intelligence is already shaping the world in which students are maturing, and young people deserve a meaningful voice in how that future is built,” said Jeff Riley, executive director of Day of AI and former Massachusetts Commissioner of Elementary and Secondary Education. “This national class of Student Senators represents an extraordinary opportunity to listen to students not as passive users of technology, but as leaders, citizens, and problem-solvers.”

“Students need more than access to AI tools - they need the knowledge, confidence, and ethical foundation to understand and shape this technology,” said Dr. Cynthia Breazeal, Director of MIT RAISE. “America’s Youth AI Festival reflects a shared commitment to making AI education engaging, responsible, and available to all students.”

School system leaders are facing urgent questions about how to prepare students and educators for a future shaped by artificial intelligence, said David R. Schuler, Executive Director of AASA. 

“This fellowship ensures that those conversations are grounded in student voice, as well as real classroom experience," he added.

The student event

Civic life is strengthened when young people have the opportunity to participate, deliberate, and lead, Sarah Yezzi, the Edward M. Kennedy Institute's chief education officer, said.

“We are proud to welcome student senators from across the country, and facilitate their deliberation as they craft policy proposals on how artificial intelligence should shape their schools, communities, and futures.”