Two Winnacunnet Students Selected to Shape National AI Policy for Schools
New Hampshire has selected two Winnacunnet High School students and a school administrator to represent the state at America's Youth AI Festival this July, where they will help draft a national artificial intelligence policy for K-12 public schools.
Annika Johnson and Isabella Stringer, along with Shay Cassily, director of curriculum, instruction and assessment for Winnacunnet High School and SAU 21, will attend the three-day event in Boston and Cambridge from July 17-19. The festival is part of the country's 250th anniversary celebration.
Student AI Senators Will Draft Policy
Johnson and Stringer will serve as "Student AI Senators" at the Edward M. Kennedy Institute, where they will debate and help craft AI policy alongside other high school students from all 50 states. The program, called the 2026 Leadership and Innovation Fellowship, will bring together 50 school leaders and 100 high school students.
Cassily will work with researchers and practitioners to examine how AI is being used in school districts across the country. Following the festival, the American Association of School Administrators (AASA) plans to share the new National AI Policy with more than 10,000 school leaders nationwide.
Why This Matters for Educators
School leaders face immediate pressure to make decisions about AI in classrooms without clear guidance. This fellowship offers a chance to ground those decisions in both student perspectives and research-backed practices.
Cassily said the timing is critical for her district. "Educators and school leaders are working to navigate the complex intersection of artificial intelligence, student engagement, technology, and critical thinking," she said. "This event gives us an opportunity to explore how we can embrace innovation while ensuring that human thinking, creativity, and meaningful learning remain at the center of education."
About the Festival and Day of AI
The festival is a collaboration between AASA, Day of AI, MIT RAISE, and the Edward M. Kennedy Institute. Day of AI, founded in 2021 out of MIT, has reached nearly 4 million students in more than 170 countries.
Research from Day of AI shows that more than 97% of program participants report a stronger understanding of how AI works after using its curriculum.
The festival will convene educators, researchers, policymakers, and civic leaders to focus on ethical AI use, systems-level leadership, policy development, and the future of teaching and learning.
Educators looking to prepare for these shifts may want to explore AI learning paths designed for teachers or resources on AI for education.
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