AI Vanguardest. 2024
Representing students at
CypressTroyDowneyGretchen WhitneyOxford AcademyGahrCerritosBeckmanCypressTroyDowneyGretchen WhitneyOxford AcademyGahrCerritosBeckman
01On mission

AI is already changing how young people learn — and the decisions being made right now will shape the next decade of education. Those decisions are being made without us. We exist to change that.

AI Vanguard · Mission statement
A classroom in session — students at desks, teacher presenting at the whiteboard.

The room where AI policy gets decided — and the students whose learning it defines.

Fig. 01 · A classroom in Southern California
What we do

Three programs.
One loop from student voice to policy.

See all our work →
Laptop and notebook with data charts on a desk — research workspace.
Program 01 / 03
01

Student voice research

Listening first, on every campus.

Surveys, interviews, and focus groups that turn student experience with AI into usable evidence for schools and districts.

  • Campus-led surveys on AI use and perception
  • Structured focus groups with students and teachers
  • Findings synthesized into school-ready briefs
A hand raising a megaphone at an outdoor rally.
Program 02 / 03
02

Policy advocacy

Bringing evidence into the rooms where policy is written.

Working with schools, districts, and local policymakers so student perspectives shape how AI enters the classroom — not the other way around.

  • School and district partnerships
  • Local and regional policy events
  • Recommendations grounded in student voice
University building with an open courtyard — a place for gathering.
Program 03 / 03
03

Community building

A network that doesn't dissolve after one event.

Connecting students, educators, and policymakers into a network where the people most affected by AI in education are actually in the room.

  • Cross-school representative network
  • Student-policymaker forums
  • Ongoing cohorts of student leaders
How it works

A repeatable loop,
not a one-off club.

The system that turns student experience into evidence, and evidence into policy conversations.

  1. 01

    Listen

    Student reps run surveys, interviews, and focus groups on their campuses.

  2. 02

    Synthesize

    Findings are compiled into briefs school leaders and districts can actually use.

  3. 03

    Advocate

    We meet with schools, districts, and local events to turn evidence into policy.

  4. 04

    Sustain

    The representative network keeps the loop open — student voice, year over year.

Leadership

Run by students —
not for them.

A nine-person cabinet of student leaders across Southern California, steering research, operations, and outreach.

Meet the team →
Avery Updike, Founder & President
Avery Updike
Founder & President
Timothy Yang, Vice President
Timothy Yang
Vice President
Rachel Hawara, Secretary
Rachel Hawara
Secretary
Arya Bhakta, Chief Financial Officer
Arya Bhakta
Chief Financial Officer
Connor Lee, VP of Marketing
Connor Lee
VP of Marketing
Impact · At a glance

Real schools.
Real reach.

Still early — and already in rooms across Southern California. The numbers reflect where we are today, not where we're stopping.

18,000+
Students represented
Across partner campuses
8
Schools
Active rep presence
5
Districts
Southern California
20+
Student leaders
Cabinet & reps
The ask

Your school's next AI policy should have students in the room.

Join the next cohort of student representatives — or bring AI Vanguard to your school or district.

Four students gathered around a tablet, working together.
Fig. 02 · The next cohort