Upcoming Event: SJPL AI Center Workshop
Being Human in a Tech-Filled World: AI Lessons from Young Adults
Wednesday, September 23, 2026: 6:30-7:30pm
Through interactive discussions, we'll review research from Common Sense Media and resources from The Rithm Project that look at how AI is shaping young adults' experiences. We'll conclude with some co-created takeaways about how to ensure that AI is enhancing human connection rather than eroding it in our own lives and resources for broaching these conversations with young people.
Learn more and register here.
Upcoming Event: Workshop with 826 Valencia
Choose Your Own Adventure: Being Human in a Tech-Filled World
Sunday, October 18, 2026; 12pm-2pm
In this workshop, students will embark on interactive sci-fi adventures as they explore how technology is shaping humanity. Through discussion games, students will consider ethical issues underlying our technology use and envision new inventions for the future. Students will then co-create their own sci-fi choose-your-own-adventure stories that provide readers with tough choices about befriending androids, moving to virtual worlds, allowing tech companies access to their brains, and other sci-fi conundrums that are rapidly colliding with reality.
This workshop will take place in the writing lab at 826 Valencia St. Learn more and sign up here.
Upcoming Event: Khan Lab School AI in Education Summit 2026
Choose Your Own Adventure: Being Human in a Tech-Filled World
Saturday, October 24, 2026
In the age of artificial intelligence, young learners need opportunities to explore ethical issues created by the increasing integration of technology and AI into our world. YA sci-fi author Nicole Marie will lead choose-your-own-adventure discussion activities that invite participants to consider the consequences of using AI.
Learn more and register here.
Past Event: Teen Writers Institute Summer Camp 2026
Humans of TWI and Choose Your Own Adventure
Nicole Marie had an unbelievably amazing time during the Teen Writers Institute! Through multimedia and interactive creative writing exercises, including a project modeled on Humans of New York and a choose-your-own-adventure journey, Nicole Marie spent an exciting two weeks with creative young writers who explored what it means to be a human storyteller.
Learn more and stay up to date on future events here!
Past Event: Booked In with Beyond Text Podcast
After Intelligence: AI, Creativity, and What Comes Next
Nicole Marie had a lively conversation with Tanya Sedneva from Beyond Text Bookstore about how artificial intelligence is impacting creativity and the future of education.
Check out the recording here!
Past Event: Silicon Valley Reads 2026
Being Human in a Tech-Filled World
With technology becoming ever more immersive, we all have the responsibility to decide whether new innovations ultimately enhance or erode human connection.
In this interactive writing workshop, teens played a discussion game to consider the potential benefits and drawbacks of new tech. Building on these insights, they then drafted a short reflection or piece of fiction exploring how we can design and use technology to strengthen bridges in our community.
Past Event: CATE 2026
Choose Your Own Adventure: Being Human in a Tech-Filled World
On March 7, participants engaged in a choose-your-own-adventure discussion activity related to current ethical issues in tech. Drawing on this frame, participants discussed opportunities for using literature and writing exercises to spark critical thinking about AI, virtual reality, tech companies, regulation, and more.
Find more details here.
Past Event: San Jose Area Writing Project’s Teen Novel Salon
Beyond Robots: Modern technology in science fiction
Nicole Marie was delighted to join an amazing group of authors for the San Jose Area Writing Project’s Teen Novel Program Salon Series.
On November 15, teen writers joined Nicole Marie for an interactive workshop exploring the challenges of navigating an increasingly tech-filled world. Through choose-your-own-adventure discussions and drafting exercises, writers asked themselves and their characters to make tough choices about befriending androids, moving to virtual worlds, allowing tech companies access to their brains, and other sci-fi conundrums that are rapidly colliding with reality.
Find more details about the program at www.sjawp.org/teen-writers-salon
Past Event: Silicon Valley Reads 2025
Designing Your School of the Future
Cognation Academy is a state-of-the-art school of the future with a range of unique buildings, including one that appears to float in the treetops, another that is nearly invisible, and yet another that can be submerged beneath the campus lake. Based on this work, teens were invited to imagine their dream school of the future and visualized those creations using AI tools. Teens also discussed the ethical challenges inherent in these emerging tools and considered responsible ways to use them as part of the creative process.
Your Android Friend
This discussion-focused program invited teens to consider where the line is between machine and human.
If you had the chance to learn alongside androids, would you want to? How would you introduce your android friend to other humans? What role would school leaders, teachers, and students play in integrating androids into the community?
