How Digital Technology Is Transforming Childhood — and What Families and Policymakers Can Do About It
Saturday, September 12 – Sioux Falls, SD
CLICK HERE to register for the event
Join us for one-day event designed to educate and equip families, educators, and policymakers with the research and policy tools needed to address the impact of education technology and artificial intelligence in schools and our communities at large.
Learn more about options for practical advocacy, model policies, and legislative solutions that can help communities put children first while supporting responsible innovation.
Summary Agenda:
10:00am to 12:00pm: The Education Technology & AI Landscape
- Research on learning, cognitive development, and student well-being
- The opportunities and challenges of AI in schools
- The data and research on education technology and AI implementation in South Dakota schools
12:00pm to 12:30pm: Lunch Buffet
12:30pm to 2:00pm: Child-First Policy Solutions
- The recent policy efforts in South Dakota
- Best practices for schools
- State and national policy innovations
- Advice for building healthier learning environments
2:00pm: Optional Q&A with the Featured Speakers
Location: The Social – 301 S Thompson Ave, Sioux Falls, SD
CLICK HERE to register for the event
Corinne Johnson
Executive Director, Child First Policy Center
President, Utah Parents United
Corinne Johnson is a mother of five and a policy leader with nearly a decade of experience advancing child-first education and technology policy at the state and federal levels.
During Utah’s 2026 legislative session, she helped lead a landmark package of six child-first technology bills, including the SAFE Act and the Balance Act, both endorsed by Jonathan Haidt. The legislation focused on education technology, AI in schools, and protecting children’s learning, cognitive development, and well-being.
As Executive Director of the Child First Policy Center, Corinne works with researchers, educators, parents, and policymakers to develop evidence-based policies that ensure technology serves children—not the other way around.
John Cusey
John Cusey is the Executive Director of the Institute for Families and Technology (IFT). He has more than two decades of policy experience at the state level and in the executive and legislative branches of the federal government.
Before joining IFT, he was senior vice president of external relations at American Enterprise Institute for Public Policy Research. Additionally, Mr. Cusey served as a senior counselor for policy and legislative affairs in the US Department of Health and Human Services and spent seven years working for Congress as a press secretary,a legislative director, and the executive director of a caucus.
He has owned a small business, served as a US park ranger, and taught high school AP US government.
Allie Terry and Liz Jenkins
Founders, G-Rated Schools and Child First Policy Center
Allie Terry and Liz Jenkins are both mothers and subject matter experts on education technology, with a particular focus on the impact of Google products, Chromebooks, and digital learning platforms in K–12 classrooms.
As founding members of G-Rated Schools and the Child First Policy Center they were instrumental in advancing six child-first education technology bills during Utah’s 2026 legislative session. Their work focuses on ensuring technology supports student learning while protecting children’s academic achievement, privacy, and well-being.
Through their research, policy work, and advocacy, they equip parents, educators, and policymakers with evidence-based insights into how education technology affects student learning and classroom outcomes.
CLICK HERE to register for the event
