Cowboy Up, Calm Down: Mindfulness, AI, and the Modern Educator

What if AI could help students name emotions, navigate conflict, or reflect on identity? In this session, we explore how culturally grounded AI tools can support emotional literacy and mental health in classrooms that serve black and brown learners. Inspired by Beyoncé’s Cowboy Carter, which blends truth-telling with tenderness, we’ll explore the power of SEL-focused AI tools, that serve as a co-teacher, to foster expression, resilience, and well-being for both students and educators. We’ll ask hard questions about how tech is being used, who it’s serving, and how it can be reimagined to uplift rather than surveil.