BOSTON COLLEGE HIGH SCHOOL SHIELDS CENTER FOR INNOVATION TO HOST AI IN SECONDARY EDUCATION SUMMIT ON NOVEMBER 6
BOSTON COLLEGE HIGH SCHOOL SHIELDS CENTER FOR INNOVATION TO HOST AI IN SECONDARY EDUCATION SUMMIT ON NOVEMBER 6
Former Governor of Massachusetts, Jane Swift, and Experts from Google, Microsoft and Boston University will meet with schools to discuss opportunities for transforming the future of learning with generative artificial intelligence.
BOSTON — (October 24, 2023) — On Monday, November 6, the Boston College High School Shields Center for Innovation (BC High Shields Center for Innovation) will host a summit for schools, educators and students on how generative artificial intelligence (AI) can transform secondary education in Boston and beyond. The AI in Secondary Education Summit will feature discussions with former Governor Jane Swift and experts from Google, Microsoft and Boston University. Middle and high schools in Massachusetts plan to join BC High for the summit. The in-person event includes breakout sessions and a virtual panel discussion that is open to the public and schools nationwide free of charge.
• Register for the virtual event, which is open to the public and free of charge, at https://www.bchigh.edu/innovation
With the generative AI market poised to explode over the next 10 years1, understanding how to navigate and adopt AI technology responsibly is a priority for those charged with educating tomorrow’s workforce. As educators grapple with the practical implications of using a technology that is changing so fast, many question its impact on learning outcomes and the future of education, and whether the benefits outweigh the risks.
With these challenges in mind, the AI in Secondary Education Summit will bring together educators and AI experts to explore opportunities for harnessing AI to transform teaching and learning and equip students for success in the future.
The summit will specifically focus on how schools can embrace AI to foster innovative thinking and action-oriented problem solving that creates positive societal change, which is central to Jesuit education and the Shields Center for Innovation mission. Discussions will address key questions and issues facing schools, including the implications of AI on ethics, creativity and originality, and the agency of students and teachers. The Shields Center for Innovation will also announce the winners of its AI and Education Art and Writing Contest, which challenges BC High students to create a representation of what the intersection of AI and education will be in the future.
“We are grateful for Jack Shields and his generosity in bringing these types of important topics to our students and the greater community through the Shields Center for Innovation,” said Boston College High School President Grace Cotter Regan.
“It’s an honor to bring together this group of innovators to explore how schools in Boston and beyond can embrace AI to stimulate the entrepreneurial thinking and problem solving that can create lasting change in our classrooms and workplaces, locally and around the world,” said Jack Shields, ’79, P’ 06, Founder and Co-Chairman of Shields Capital.
“AI holds the promise of enabling deeper learning, tailoring education to individual needs and contexts, and forming students’ innovation mindset and digital confidence,” said Joseph McNamara ’12, Director of the Shields Center for Innovation. “In keeping with the tradition and ideals of a Jesuit education, the BC High Shields Center for Innovation is thrilled to be leading this discussion. We are focused on how we as schools can equip our students to use AI confidently and responsibly for themselves and in the service of others.”
Summit Speakers
• Jane Swift, Former Governor of the Commonwealth of Massachusetts, President of Education at Work, and Member of the National Assessment Governing Board (Moderator)
• Soundararajan Srinivasan, Head and Director, AI Program (including Generative AI/LLMs), Microsoft New England
• Drew Calcagno ’11, Principal, Product Operations at Google Research and AI at Google
• Naomi Caselli, Director of AI and Education Initiative at Boston University
Virtual Panel Details
• Date: Monday, November 6, 2023
• Time: 9:15 – 10:15 a.m.
• Location: McNeice Pavilion, BC High Shields Center for Innovation, 150 Morrissey Blvd., Boston, Massachusetts
• Admission: The virtual event is open to the public and free of charge.
• Event website: Register for the virtual event at https://www.bchigh.edu/innovation.
About Boston College High School Shields Center for Innovation
The Shields Center for Innovation believes each student can build their innovation mindset and entrepreneurial self-efficacy. The Center creates the conditions that form action-oriented problem solvers who understand self, others, and context. Through partnerships with local and global innovation ecosystems and communities, students engage with real-world, real-time challenges. As students identify opportunities, experiment, reflect, and iterate with those they are serving, they recognize their own agency to make an impact. For more information, please visit, https://www.bchigh.edu/shields-innovation.
About Boston College High School
Boston College High School is a Jesuit, Catholic, college-preparatory school for young men in grades 7 to 12. Founded in 1863, the school enrolls more than 1,400 students from more than 100 communities in eastern Massachusetts. For more information, please visit https://www.bchigh.edu/.
1. “2023 Generative AI Growth Report,” Bloomberg Intelligence, June 2023