SXSW EDU 2025 PanelPicker®
American Student Assistance® (ASA) is a national nonprofit at the forefront of changing the way kids learn about careers and prepare for their futures. As part of our continuing efforts to elevate the critical conversations and issues relevant to preparing youth for success after high school, we have submitted – via the PanelPicker – several highly engaging and informative speaking proposals for consideration at the 2025 SXSW EDU Conference (March 3-6 in Austin, TX). To get our panel sessions accepted, ASA needs you to vote!
The exponential growth of technological development and the growing influence of AI has revealed the latest essential solution to an equity issue that is of paramount importance to our mission: how can we provide every student with the tools to make informed postsecondary decisions? With our proposed programming at next year’s SXSW EDU, ASA urges educators, policymakers, leaders of youth-serving organizations, and business leaders to direct their attention to the power technology wields in addressing the systemically inequitable distribution of career readiness resources.
By expanding access to tech-enabled career readiness opportunities – and considering how emerging tech like AI can enhance human growth and creativity, rather than hinder it – we can ensure that every student, regardless of background or location, is equipped with guidance to confidently make choices about their future with resources readily available at their fingertips.
To participate in the voting process from August 6-18, visit panelpicker.sxsw.com/vote and sign in or create a free account. If you are not familiar, the PanelPicker is the official, user-generated platform that enables the community to propose session ideas for the SXSW EDU program and allows the community to browse the ideas and vote for their favorite proposals. The final decision is derived from Advisory Board evaluations (40%), staff review (30%) and public voting (30%).
Between August 6-18, please vote for our sessions detailed below and reach out to others in your network to do the same. Each voter can vote once per proposal – selecting “arrow up” for yes.
ASA will also be promoting heavily on Twitter, LinkedIn, and Facebook, so you can also follow ASA and then reshare the posts on your channels.
AI-Enabled Career Exploration: Preparing Kids for Future Jobs in the Arts
Vote HERE
PANEL (60 minutes)
Human creativity in the age of AI is undergoing a fascinating transformation. Generative AI can both mimic and enhance human creativity while future-proofing creative careers. And, it can promote divergent thinking by generating a wide range of ideas to inspire human creators. While AI can not replace human creativity, it can amplify it and it does complement our cognitive processes by offering fresh perspectives and unexpected combinations. Generative AI has the power to connect people across disciplines, cultures, and geographies, fostering cross-pollination of ideas—making it the perfect workforce development tool. (Part social capital connector, part skill builder, and part solution developer.) By challenging our biases and assumptions, AI encourages us to explore beyond our comfort zones and can act as an “extended mind,” accelerating the creative process. Hear from panelists as they discuss how the future of creativity lies in the synergy between human imagination and AI. As algorithms evolve, so do our creative possibilities.
- Judy Goldstein, SVP PR, Communications, and Planning, American Student Assistance (ASA), Moderator
- Byron Sanders, CEO, Big Thought
- Kara May, Founding Principal and Director of Partnership & Creative Development, Art In Motion (AIM) Creative Arts School
- Matt McClure, Co-Founder, Aha Media
Equitable Empowerment: Scaling Future-Readiness with Tech
Vote HERE
PANEL (60 minutes)
Austin, we have a problem: the vast majority of high school students and recent grads say they don’t feel adequately prepared to make postsecondary education and/or career choices. This is even more pressing for students in underserved communities who may not have access to resources that match their talents and passions to potential career options. The result? Kids lack the clarity on next steps for their futures. But free, tech-enabled solutions can help us scale equitable access to invaluable career readiness resources and opportunities, offering a lifeline to kids in every pocket of the country to be able to explore, test, and try so they can step into the world with confidence in whatever path they choose. Join this panel to hear about some of the leading innovators in leveraging tech to ensure future-readiness for all!
- Mike Murphy, Senior Manager of Strategic Communications, American Student Assistance (ASA), Moderator
- Brooke McKean, REACH Pathways Co-CEO, Chicago Scholars Foundation
- Brandon Nicholson, Ph.D., CEO, Hidden Genius Project
- Steve Grubbs, CEO, VictoryXR
Harnessing AI & Technology to Prepare Youth for Career Success
Vote HERE
PANEL (60 minutes)
Today’s kids don’t feel prepared to make informed decisions about their futures. In fact, research shows that more than 65 percent of students feel they would have benefited from more career exploration in middle or high school. Enter developing technology innovations that are meeting the challenges of exploring potential career pathways and prepping for the workforce after high school graduation. During this panel discussion, learn how teens are benefitting from impactful tech-enabled career learning opportunities–from AI-powered career coaching, virtual career mentors & career guidance to exploring the workforce virtually and prepping through AI-enabled resume builders and mock job interviews–that are connecting learners to postsecondary pathways and careers.
- Lee Waldvogel, Senior Director of Partnerships, American Student Assistance (ASA), Moderator
- Jared Chung, Founder & Executive Director, CareerVillage
- Franny Lee, CEO, WorkTour
- John Branam, Executive Director, GetSchooled
Technology: The Social Capital Enabler
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PANEL (60 minutes)
Technology can facilitate social capital by providing structured ways to connect, offering peer groups, and engaging qualified individuals. As we navigate an ever-changing world, nurturing social bonds remains essential for our collective well-being and using technology can create or expand more equitable access to networks that connect people and build social capital. Hear firsthand from a student intern at iCouldBe as she shares her insights on cultivating social capital and its impact on her future. Join us to explore perspectives from students and nonprofit leaders on building networks and connections within and beyond their communities.
- Jing Cox-Orrell, Philanthropy Program Manager, American Student Assistance (ASA), Moderator
- Michael J. Carter, Founder, President, & CEO, UStrive
- Jennifer Natalus, Student intern and former mentee, iCouldBe
- Josh Schachter, Founder & Executive Director, CommunityShare
Centering Mental Health through Middle School Career Readiness
Vote HERE
PANEL (60 minutes)
Research shows that 80% of kids as young as middle school are already stressed about what they’re going to do when they grow up. This anxiety has been undoubtedly exacerbated by the COVID-19 pandemic, social and political unrest, and the meteoric rise of various technologies, including AI, that are rapidly shifting the future of work. Moreover, the development of healthy social-emotional skills is more important than ever as these shifts make it necessary to prioritize essential durable human skills that cannot be replicated by such technology. This panel discussion will feature leaders from organizations who are leveraging career exploration to increase student engagement and ensure kids feel seen and supported as they learn about themselves, explore careers and navigate their future options.
- Stephanie Simpson, CEO, AMLE, Moderator
- Keith Wakeman, CEO, SuperBetter
- Valerie Grison-Alsop, Founder & Executive Director, Give Us The Floor