2026 Early College Summit

How can schools better prepare students for life beyond graduation? In this session, participants will explore Wilson Academy of Applied Technology's (WAAT) innovative pathway-driven learning model designed to address common challenges such as career uncertainty, skill gaps, and limited real-world exposure.

Attendees will learn how WAAT integrates personalized learning tracks, student voice and choice, and real-world experiences into the school day. The session will highlight how pathways connect students’ interests to academic coursework, skill development, and future college and career opportunities.

Participants will also examine the role of educators as mentors and industry connectors, explore strategies for measuring student success beyond traditional metrics, and consider how this model can be adapted and scaled across diverse school settings. Through an interactive activity, attendees will apply the pathway framework to real student profiles, gaining practical insights for implementation in their own contexts.

Teaching Critical Thinking in the Age of AI: Using AI Responsibly to Develop Critical Thinkers and Writers

Students can now generate an essay in seconds. So, how do we ensure they are still doing the thinking?

As artificial intelligence becomes increasingly common in schools, educators face a new challenge: helping students use AI as a tool for learning instead of a shortcut around it. The question is no longer whether students will use AI, but how we can design learning that encourages them to think critically, write authentically, and maintain ownership of their ideas.

In this session, participants will explore practical, classroom-tested strategies for using AI to strengthen critical thinking, support meaningful revision, and amplify student voice. Through classroom examples, student work samples, and guided discussion, attendees will examine how AI can be used as a tool for inquiry, reflection, feedback, and analysis while keeping students at the center of the learning process.

Participants will discover ways to design assignments and writing experiences that require students to evaluate information, justify decisions, critique AI-generated responses, and engage in deep thinking that leads to stronger writing and deeper understanding. The session will also address responsible and ethical AI use, including academic integrity, bias awareness, transparency, and preserving student ownership of learning.

Attendees will leave with practical resources, classroom-ready strategies, and a framework for integrating AI in ways that maintain rigor, foster critical thinking, and empower students to become thoughtful, responsible communicators in an AI-rich world.

The power of any network lies in building strong connections among members. During this role-alike networking session, join peers and colleagues to connect around role-alike discussion of topics important to your work in the early college ecosystem through a facilitated networking conversation.