Summer 2024 Innovation Lab Impact Report
In 2024, the MeshEd Summer Innovation Lab in partnership with three CREC academies empowered over 300 middle school students with hands-on experiences in digital literacy and career exploration, thanks to funding from the Connecticut State Department of Education!
Students dove into 4 exciting MeshEd Action Labs:
🎮 Coding for Game Design
💻 Digital Animation + AI
📚 Art of the Graphic Novel
🎙️ Art of the Podcast
These courses helped learners develop skills in creative problem-solving, collaboration, project management, and critical thinking—all while creating digital portfolios to showcase their growth! In addition to hands-on learning, Fun Fridays brought in local experts for alternative activities, from financial literacy to environmental art, and fostered community-building with team events like talent shows and scavenger hunts.
The results? 91% of students felt more confident using digital tools, and 84% of those who attended 3+ days of the 4 week program created digital portfolios to document their learning journey!
Check out this student testimonial from Akshita, a 6th grader in Digital Animation & AI:
“I loved this course so so much, the teachers are amazing, and I really enjoyed the Adobe Express and Replicate part. Thank you for making this such a fun and enjoyable experience. I’d recommend it to anyone who wants to animate better!”
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2024 AI + Education Symposium 2.0
Betaworks, together with MeshEd and XQ Institute, convened with a dynamic group of AI-builders, educators, high school students, policy experts, and thought leaders to engage with a number of AI product demonstrations. These demos were followed by panels and action-oriented workshops to provide feedback on product design and potential use for educators and learners.
We built on the success of our 2023 symposium and expanded our community this year with in-person and virtual programming. We explored new AI tools that have the potential to augment learning experiences from early childhood all the way through high school, college, and continuing education. We learned from AI engineers, innovative educators, and policy experts who facilitated conversations on effective, data-driven uses of AI for curriculum design and development.
For AI startups and nonprofits already working in schools and directly with learners, we explored efficacy data on learner experience to understand the added value of these educational products for teachers and learners. The day of learning concluded with optional small-group curriculum development workshops facilitated by prominent AI-for-learning leaders.
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Summer 2024 Intern Reflection: Vy Duong
MeshEd led our Summer Innovation Lab at three CREC sites - Academy of Science & Innovation, Ana Grace Academy of the Arts, and Academy of Aerospace and Engineering from July - August, 2024. We served 310 students total for middle school academic enrichment and career exploration. MeshEd Action Lab courses featuring project-based learning (PBL), social-emotional learning and creative arts exploration were led by 30 graduate, undergraduate, and high school student interns1. The PBL courses connected student learning to exciting and future-forward career pathways and to the work of local, CT-based guest experts. . Read below to hear a reflection from an Art of the Podcast Instructional Intern from Trinity College, Vy Duong.
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2023 AI + Education Symposium
On September 30th, 2023, MeshEd convened an AI + Education Symposium at Betaworks in Manhattan. The event, attended by over 200 people, bridged the communication and information gaps among leading ed-tech developers and K12 educators, policymakers, and high school students. Together, we explored the potential opportunities and the risks of integrating generative AI in education in the 2023-2024 school year, with a focus on public middle and high school learners and their educators. We curated and showcased a variety of AI learning product demos, followed by student-led questions. Clusters of demos were followed by “fireside chat” discussions with edtech builders, policy leaders, and ethicists that highlighted common themes, risks, and opportunities for better AI product design and deployment.
The interactive nature of the Symposium, enriched by real-time polling and a collective afternoon reflection session, encouraged insightful discussions on the merits and risks of using generative AI to enhance teaching and learning. The diverse attendee list of students, educators, AI builders, and investors, policy experts, and ethicists enriched our conversations. The continuous engagement, from pre-event surveys to post-event polling, highlighted a concerted effort to harness collective insights for thoughtful integration of AI into educational systems.
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