Secondary schools wanted: students researching AI in six countries

If you are choosing an inquiry focus for 2027, this is a ready-made one.

The Youth AI Research Network is looking for New Zealand secondary schools to join a six-country study in which students are the researchers, not the subjects. They set the critical questions, gather the evidence and decide what it means, alongside peers in Canada, Finland, Norway, Ireland and Australia. The frame the first New Zealand students have posed is whether AI helps them learn well, live well and be well.

ERO's Ready or Not (July 2026) recommended secondary schools appoint an AI champion with time to upskill, and involve students in shaping AI policy. This offers both. Participation can sit within an existing Specialist Classroom Teacher allowance and can serve as evidence for a Professional Growth Cycle. If you hold a 2027 Study Support Grant or sabbatical, it fits there too.

One New Zealand school is already underway and we have room for more. The work is coordinated internationally from the University of Alberta.

What a school provides: a teacher lead, a small group of students aged roughly 15 to 16, and board sign-off including caregiver consent. The strand runs for approximately twelve months from the start.

Register interest with Dr Tim Gander, FutureLearning: [email protected]

Find out more here: futurelearning.nz/yairn