This summer, Learner Studio piloted a bold idea: what if high school students learned not just how to use AI, but how to use it ethically and in service of their communities? With support from partners including DSST Public Schools, Boston Public Schools, City Year, Local Civics, and Learning Heroes, the program invited young people in Boston and Denver to explore “humanics”—the skills of collaboration, empathy, and civic engagement—alongside the rise of artificial intelligence.

The students didn’t just sit in classrooms. They mapped community assets, debated AI’s role in society, and used design thinking to imagine the futures they want to build. Through GIS mapping, AI-powered empathy interviews, and civic simulations, they practiced how to balance technological tools with human connection. As one student put it: “We don’t want AI to take over, we just want to live alongside it.”

Learner Studio’s July 2025 report, Human Skills in the Age of AI, underscores why this matters. Research shows that young people who develop critical thinking, communication, and collaboration skills are better prepared for careers, civic life, and leadership. Yet these abilities are too often treated as extras, not essentials. The pilot showed that when students combine curiosity with civic purpose and creativity, they not only build confidence but also learn how to use emerging technology responsibly.

This work connects to a broader national conversation about reinventing high school. At SXSW EDU 2025, a panel hosted by the Walton Family Foundation brought together educators, edtech innovators, and leaders—including Learner Studio co-founder Babak Mostaghimi—to explore how high schools must evolve to meet the demands of the 21st century. The conversation spotlighted competency-based learning, networks of innovative schools, and new models that make high school more relevant, engaging, and future-ready. Learner Studio’s summer pilot is one example of those ideas in action: students preparing for college, career, and civic life by blending human skills with technological fluency.

And this summer was only the beginning. Learner Studio, alongside educators, nonprofits, and thought partners nationwide, is working to scale programs that strengthen human skills alongside AI literacy. The goal isn’t to train students to compete with machines, but to thrive alongside them—and to shape a future where AI becomes a tool for we, not just me.