1 sentence
AI Vanguard is a student-led 501(c)(3) nonprofit organizing students across Southern California around how AI is used in their classrooms.
Press kit
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Press inquiriesinfo@aivanguard.org
Boilerplate
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3 sentences
AI Vanguard is a student-led 501(c)(3) nonprofit founded in 2024 to ensure students have a voice in how AI enters K–12 education. The organization runs research, advocacy, and community-building through a network of student representatives at partner campuses across Southern California. In its first research cycle it surveyed 447 students across six schools; in 2026 it launched a companion teacher survey and qualitative field studies on AI-generated work.
5 sentences
AI Vanguard is a youth-led 501(c)(3) nonprofit founded in 2024 to give students a direct voice in how AI is used in their classrooms. Its leadership cabinet of nine students steers research, policy advocacy, and community building across Southern California schools. Fourteen student representatives across nine campuses run ground-level research — the 2025 policy survey gathered 447 responses showing that 74% of students want schools to teach responsible AI use rather than ban it, and 35% explicitly asked to be involved in shaping school AI policy. A 2026 companion survey of 10 educators found that 80% feel pressure to integrate AI and 80% suspect frequent unauthorized use, but detection confidence averages just 3.3 out of 5 — findings that converge with the students' call for guidance over prohibition. The organization's policy brief translates these findings into six concrete asks for schools and districts.
Key facts
Every number on this page is sourced.
Founded
2024
Legal status
501(c)(3) nonprofit
Based
Southern California
Leadership
9-person student cabinet
Representatives
14 reps · 9 campuses
Students surveyed (2025)
447
Teachers surveyed (2026 pilot)
10
Reach
18,000+ students
Founder & President
Avery Updike
Logo
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Talking points
What we're willing to go on record saying.
Pull quotes from AI Vanguard leadership, pre-approved for press use. Attribute to AI Vanguard or to Avery Updike as Founder and President.
“The decisions being made right now about AI in classrooms will shape the next decade of education. The students most affected are almost never in the room. AI Vanguard exists to change that.”
“74% of students told us they want schools to teach responsible AI use. Only 4% called it outright cheating. A policy built on prohibition contradicts what the students it governs are asking for.”
“When 35% of students explicitly ask to be involved in shaping AI rules at their school, that's not a suggestion. That's a mandate. Any AI policy written without student input is incomplete.”
Press contact
Writing about AI in schools? We'll reply within 48 hours.
For interviews, data requests, or campus visits, email info@aivanguard.org.