Students from all 50 U.S. states write their own framework for AI in schools

Passed by a vote of 82 to 16 in a mock student senate, the "STUDENTS FIRST Act of 2026" rejects both a total ban and unlimited adoption.

Meeting from July 17 to 19, 2026 in Boston and Cambridge for America's Youth AI Festival, students representing the fifty American states drafted a national framework on the use of artificial intelligence in elementary and secondary education. The text, called the STUDENTS FIRST Act of 2026, was adopted by a vote of 82 to 16 in a mock student senate. The event was coordinated by Day of AI, MIT RAISE, AASA and the Edward M. Kennedy Institute.

The starting position rules out the two most common responses: neither blanket ban, nor adoption without safeguards. The framework sets explicit boundaries on when AI can support learning, preserving the student's authentic work and the teacher's professional judgment.

Four protections structure the text: the prohibition of the use of AI to produce written or artistic works; a right of appeal in the event of an accusation of inappropriate use; transparency on the data collected; and the maintenance of a human decision on grades and disciplinary sanctions. The proposed timetable places AI literacy before the availability of digital devices, and only authorises supervised use from the ninth year.