Satviki and Anwita, first-place winners of the NC AI Solve-a-Thon, share how they built NC Connect Link, an AI-powered app helping North Carolinians find critical resources in one place.

North Carolina's first student AI competition showed what's possible when K-12 students are trusted with real community problems. Hear from the NC DPI leaders who built it.

Most schools start their AI conversation with "Does this tool work?" Educator and philosopher Priten Shah argues that's the wrong first question. In this episode, Priten shares a bioethics-based framework for ethical decision-making in K-12 and makes the case that classroom teachers, not district admins, are the most consequential AI decision-makers in any school

Think rural districts are "behind" on AI? Think again. Wyoming’s tech leader Steven Priest reveals how small schools are using high-trust, low-bureaucracy environments to lead the nation in AI adoption.

Scott Kern, a veteran historian turned AP US History teacher at North Star Academy, didn't enter the AI space for efficiency alone. Instead, he sought to solve the "great sadness" of the profession: the inability to be everywhere at once for thirty unique learners. By developing custom feedback bots that mirror his instructional voice, Scott scaled his presence, resulting in a career-high pass rate on the AP exam.

Ivanna Gutierrez joins the show to discuss the critical transition from being a consumer of technology to a creator, emphasizing AI literacy as a fundamental requirement for modern equity. Drawing on her experience in both IT consulting and the classroom, she shares how she guides students to use generative AI for problem-solving while maintaining the logical rigor needed for long-term success.

Babak Mostaghimi joins Kinwise to discuss the "Three Horizons" of innovation and why K-12 leaders must prioritize pro-human AI over mere system efficiency.

In an era where a doctoral dissertation could theoretically be generated in minutes, educational leaders face a profound dilemma: How do we prioritize the process of learning when the product can be automated?

Lydia Kumar sits down with Dr. Nicole Schilling and Dr. Jason Margolis to dissect the evolving role of Artificial Intelligence in high-stakes education. Approaching the topic through a "critical friends" model, they offer contrasting perspectives on the risks of cognitive atrophy and the potential for AI to serve as a rigorous simulation partner. Together, they explore the nuances of bias, the limitations of rigid policy, and the urgent need to redefine ethical guidelines for the next generation of leaders.

Dr. Dana Riger, UNC’s GenAI Faculty Fellow, discusses shifting from AI policing to values-driven curriculum design and the essential role of human empathy in education.

As AI becomes embedded in nearly every classroom tool, how can schools safeguard privacy, foster digital discernment, and still innovate? In this episode of Kinwise Conversations in AI, Danelle (Danielle) Brostrom, K-12 Educational Technology Coach at Traverse City Area Public Schools and 2025 EDSAFE AI Alliance Women in AI Fellow, joins host Lydia Kumar to unpack this urgent question.

AI ethics researcher Ahmed Boutar joins host Lydia Kumar to discuss why the future of education depends on teaching interpretation, not generation. In this Kinwise Conversations in AI episode, we explore AI alignment, governance, and how K-12 leaders can balance innovation with human oversight, ethical judgment, and transparency.

In this episode, we’re joined by Dr. Sawsan Jaber, a global educator, equity strategist, and author of Pedagogies of Voice. Dr. Jaber’s work is rooted in her lived experience as the daughter of refugees and her profound belief that classrooms must be healing spaces that nurture student voice and radical love.

North Carolina’s Vera Cubero helped craft some of the nation’s first K-12 AI guidelines. She joins Lydia to share why project-based learning, durable skills, and ongoing teacher PD are essential for human-centered AI adoption, especially in rural and underserved schools.

This episode features Kris Younger, Director of Education at Zip Code Wilmington, who reveals how the accelerating pace of Generative AI is forcing a redesign of technical education.

What if students could chat with their own notes or teachers could quiz themselves using past feedback? Vihaan Nama joins us from Duke University to explore how AI can transform education when privacy, transparency, and student voice come first.

In this episode, University of Maryland professor Brian Jefferson answers the question: How can educators use AI for cognitive enhancement? Discover practical classroom strategies like co-creating a custom GPT with students, using "play" to reduce AI anxiety, and training the "auditor mindset" for the future of work.

How can educators in rural and underserved communities pioneer the use of cutting-edge technology? Award-winning STEM teacher McKenna Akane shares her incredible journey of bringing AI and VR into her rural Montana classroom. In this episode, she discusses fundraising for VR headsets, winning the Samsung Solve for Tomorrow competition, preserving Indigenous culture with technology, and the importance of creating ethical, human-centered learning experiences for every student.

High school teacher Mike McGuckin discusses his practical strategies for integrating AI into his computer science classes. He shares how he uses AI as an "idea bouncer" for lesson planning, how he facilitates conversations on AI ethics, and what it truly means to be a future-ready educator today.

Why do most AI pilots fail? Tech leader Susan C. McLeod shares a practical guide to successful AI adoption, leadership strategy, and enterprise AI readiness for the future.

How is AI trained? Digital literacy advocate and Data Girl creator Angeline Corvaglia pulls back the curtain on the human decisions behind AI. She and Lydia Kumar discuss everything from beauty bias in data labeling and the emotional design of chatbots to the urgent need to preserve young people's unique voices in a world of algorithmic influence.