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This episode of the Independent School Moonshot Podcast is sponsored by Blackbaud.

Blackbaud helps independent schools unify admissions, advancement, academics, and finance so leaders spend less time chasing data and more time leading. Visit blackbaud.com to learn more.

Across independent schools, leaders are grappling with how to approach AI, with some banning it outright and others embracing it wholeheartedly. In the middle lies a growing interest in shared exploration and careful experimentation.

This episode examines Vail Mountain School’s collaborative approach, where students, faculty, and parents were all invited to participate in the AI conversation.

What began as a small student committee experimenting with new tools grew into a shared effort to shape policy, create guidelines, and teach peers about ethics, prompting, and responsible use.

In this episode, Kelly Enright, Director of Technology at Vail Mountain School, explains how giving students a leading voice has transformed the school’s approach.

From helping faculty draft department-level guidelines to running lessons for ninth graders, students helped create clarity while teachers gained confidence to experiment. For independent school leaders, it’s a practical example of how collective ownership can turn an overwhelming challenge into a community strength.

• Collaboration is the foundation: Students, faculty, and parents all contributed to shaping AI policy and practice.
• Student leadership drives impact: A student committee grew into a force influencing faculty and teaching peers.
• Policies must be iterative: Guidelines were refined department by department with feedback from students and teachers.
• Faculty buy-in matters: Teachers were given space to express their concerns and then encouraged to experiment safely.
• AI is a tool for growth: The emphasis remains on critical thinking, ethics, and student voice. AI enhances but doesn’t replace learning.

• Form a cross-community AI working group including students.
• Pilot one practical classroom use before scaling it up.
• Develop a tiered framework for AI use across assignments.
• Gather alum insights to prepare students for college and careers.
• Share success stories across the faculty to build momentum.