Past Events: 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?
