Student-Led Innovation: Rethinking Tech Internships in K–12 Education

What happens when high school students become the drivers of educational innovation? At Mountain View High School, in the heart of the Silicon Valley, the Tech Internship Program has transformed the students into campus tech consultants, AI researchers, and EdTech ambassadors. In this session, Dr. Glazer and her students shares how she launched and scaled a site-based internship that empowers students to tackle real-world challenges, from leading a community wide initiative such as the Digital Wellbeing Challenge to presenting AI policy research at national conferences. Participants will learn how to build similar programs that foster student agency, technical skills, and leadership development, all without needing a massive budget or outside vendors. Participants can expect to learn practical strategies, student stories, and a discussion on how authentic tech internships can reshape what learning looks like in the 21st-century school.