Long Island’s Catholic High School Partners with Law Schools on AI Education
A Catholic high school in Long Island is collaborating with notable law schools to enhance how teens engage with artificial intelligence, aiming to promote responsible use of these emerging technologies.
“It will really help us navigate the new world we’ve grown into,” said Chaminade Senior John Durham regarding a new partnership with the University of Washington Law School. He emphasized the importance of using AI correctly—”as a tool, not a crutch.” This initiative follows a project where a small group of Chaminade students developed their own AI language model, called Buddy Bot, back in March. This program aims to help peers manage their screen time and mitigate excessive scrolling.
Co-creator and sophomore Ty Miranda noted the positive impact: “Our friend has actually stopped looking at his phone.” Another student, Andrew Dargento, mentioned, “My screen time has dropped by about five hours a week.” Their innovative software drew attention from alumni Oliver Roberts, a constitutional lawyer who teaches at a law school in St. Louis, who described Chaminade as “the most important education of my life.”
Roberts helped establish the partnership, stating, “The future of AI leadership and responsible use of AI will begin before the university.” Their first initiative includes a writing competition for seniors, followed by one for juniors, focusing on the future of AI. The selected winners will be recognized by Chaminade administrators and have the opportunity to collaborate with the University of Washington, which offers special distinctions for outstanding students.
Chaminade’s chief academic officer, Gregory Kay, explained their approach: “We try to tap into higher education because our kids respond well to it.” After shutting down ChatGpt in 2022, amid broader reactions from other schools, they opted to consider how to integrate it positively. Kay added that other educational chatbots are creatively used in classrooms, acting almost like historical figures to aid students.
“It really allows for one-on-one tutoring,” he stated, while also acknowledging the challenge of identifying plagiarized material. Meanwhile, seniors like Durham, Miranda, Dargento, and Finn Galligan openly admit to using ChatGpt daily for their studies. They emphasize that the tool assists them in learning rather than simply providing answers. Garrigan, who serves as the yearbook editor-in-chief, shared how he applies it in graphic design. “We have come up with new ideas for yearbook covers,” he remarked with a chuckle, acknowledging their artistic limitations.
On a deeper note, Garrigan is curious about the direction AI is taking. He plans to explore its implications for his generation entering the workforce in an upcoming essay. “As we head to college, we need to consider our futures, our jobs, and how AI will impact us,” he reflected.
