Hawaii students to help draft national AI policy at Boston fellowship

News admin July 10, 2026 0 Comments

Hawaii students to help draft national AI policy at Boston fellowship

HONOLULU (HawaiiNewsNow) – Two Hawaii Island students will deliberate the future of AI in education at a national fellowship in Boston, Massachusetts, later this month.

Wehiwaalani Gapero, a senior at Kamehameha Schools Hawaii, and Kendall Terao-Toma, a sophomore at Hilo High School, were selected to represent Hawaii at the 2026 Leadership and Innovation Fellowship, hosted by AASA, The School Superintendents Association.

The three-day fellowship, July 17–19 at the Edward M. Kennedy Institute for the United States Senate, brings together two “Student Senators” from each state, along with 50 school system leaders, who will explore how artificial intelligence can be used responsibly, ethically, and productively within school settings.

“It’s crucial for younger students to learn how to understand, evaluate, and thoughtfully use AI before they enter high school,” said Terao-Toma. “I’d like to bring the skills that I can gain at the upcoming festival back to my school, and I’d love to see the AI policies actually actively getting implemented at the schools here.”

In a simulated Senate meeting, Student Senators will work together to create a National AI Policy to be shared with AASA and its 10,000+ members that outlines principles for responsible, productive, and ethical use of AI in public schools.

“I’m really excited to be a part of that process and be there in person to really make a big change in our nation,” said Gapero. “Especially if we’re creating policies that affect our people, I feel like our people should be present at the seat.”

Gapero and Terao-Toma will be accompanied by education leader Keolu Kailikea, who is developing curriculum on building AI-powered software.

“We need to teach our keiki how to be AI creators so they can design and create and build and architect the tools that will allow them to participate in the world economy without having to leave home,” Kailikea said.

“With AI, all we need is a computer and an internet connection. Then the training to build the AI systems and the AI tools so we can live our life and keiki can thrive right here at home, that is a very unique opportunity,” he added.

The fellowship is part of America’s Youth AI Festival, which brings together 250 students, educators, school leaders, and partners for programs focused on AI literacy, civic engagement, student leadership, and the future of learning.

Additional events include a student art contest, a competition with student teams sharing solutions to community and global problems, a live, AI-enabled art performance, and a welcome reception.