Digital Wellness Lab Student Advisory Council 2026–2027: U.S. Teens Can Work with Boston Children’s Hospital and Harvard Medical School on Digital Wellness and AI

Applications are now open for the Digital Wellness Lab Student Advisory Council 2026–2027, a virtual youth leadership initiative that gives teenagers and young adults across the United States an opportunity to influence research, technology design, digital wellness initiatives, and discussions about the future of artificial intelligence.

Now entering its fifth year, the Student Advisory Council is the flagship youth initiative of the Digital Wellness Lab at Boston Children’s Hospital and Harvard Medical School. A small group of selected students works directly with researchers, clinicians, technology-industry leaders, policy influencers, and other experts throughout the academic year.

For the 2026–2027 cycle, the Council introduces two participation tracks: Changemakers and Architects. The tracks recognize that young people face two interconnected challenges: learning how to live healthily with the technology that already surrounds them and helping shape the emerging technologies that will define the future.

The programme runs from October 2026 through May 2027, with all regular Council meetings taking place virtually.

Applications close on 7 September 2026 at 11:59 PM Eastern Time.

About the Digital Wellness Lab Student Advisory Council

The Digital Wellness Lab Student Advisory Council gives young people a meaningful role in conversations about technology, online life, digital wellbeing, artificial intelligence, social media, gaming, mental health, and emerging digital environments.

Rather than treating teenagers simply as research subjects or technology users, the programme invites them to become active contributors.

Council members share their experiences of growing up in a highly connected world and help researchers and decision-makers understand how technology actually affects young people’s daily lives.

Participants may contribute to:

• Digital wellness research
• Youth-focused resources
• Technology recommendations
• Discussions with technology companies
• AI and emerging-technology testing
• Community projects
• Research studies
• Teen Voices publications
• Policy and industry conversations

Their perspectives may help shape what the Digital Wellness Lab studies next and how researchers, clinicians, technology creators, and policymakers approach online environments used by young people.

Who Organizes the Programme?

The Student Advisory Council is organized by the Digital Wellness Lab, which works in connection with Boston Children’s Hospital and Harvard Medical School.

Council members may engage with:

• Researchers
• Clinicians
• Digital wellness specialists
• Technology-industry professionals
• AI developers
• Trust and safety leaders
• Policy influencers
• Youth advocates

The programme therefore combines youth participation with exposure to research, healthcare, technology, and public-policy perspectives.

Programme Duration

The 2026–2027 Student Advisory Council runs from:

October 2026 to May 2027

The programme begins with a virtual kickoff in early October and continues throughout the academic year.

Participants will engage in projects, sessions, research activities, industry conversations, and collaborative learning before presenting their work in spring 2027.

New for 2026–2027: Two Participation Tracks

For the first time, applicants can choose between two different pathways:

1. Changemakers
2. Architects

Applicants complete a single application and rank their preferred track.

Although the two pathways have different age ranges, time commitments, and project outcomes, students in both tracks can contribute directly to Digital Wellness Lab research and may publish content through the Lab’s Teen Voices platform.

Track A: Changemakers

Put Digital Wellness Research into Action

The Changemakers track is designed for students who want to address digital challenges that already affect their schools, communities, friends, and peers.

Participants may explore issues such as:

• Social media
• Smartphone use
• School phone policies
• Gaming
• Online mental health
• Digital wellbeing
• Online relationships
• Screen time
• Healthy technology habits

Each Changemaker will identify a particular digital wellness challenge affecting their school or community.

They will then explore relevant research, identify possible responses, and develop an individual project with support from a Digital Wellness Lab mentor.

Who Can Join the Changemakers Track?

Changemakers should be:

• 14–18 years old
• U.S. high school students
• In grades 9–12

Age eligibility is calculated based on the applicant’s age on 1 October 2026.

Time Commitment

Participants should expect approximately:

3–4 hours per month

The programme is virtual.

What Changemakers Will Produce

Each participant will develop:

An individual action project addressing a digital wellness issue in their school or community.

The track is particularly suited to students who already see a technology-related challenge around them and want to move from observation to practical action.

Track B: Architects

Help Shape the Future of Technology

The Architects track focuses more heavily on emerging technologies and the digital environments young people will use in the future.

Participants will engage with topics including:

• Artificial intelligence
• Generative AI
• Chatbots
• Emerging digital platforms
• Technology design
• Youth online safety
• Responsible innovation
• Healthy digital environments

Architects will work as a group to share their perspectives with people involved in developing and influencing new technologies.

Who Can Join the Architects Track?

Architects should be:

• 16–20 years old
• U.S. students
• From approximately 11th grade through the second year of college

Past Student Advisory Council members are also invited to apply.

Age eligibility is based on the applicant’s age on 1 October 2026.

Time Commitment

Architects should expect a larger commitment of approximately:

8–10 hours per month

Activities remain virtual.

What Architects Will Produce

Architects may contribute to:

• Co-authored industry recommendations
• Published recommendations for technology companies
• Hands-on testing of emerging AI tools
• Feedback on future digital environments
• Research and youth-perspective publications

This track is best suited to young people who are interested in how AI and emerging technology should be designed safely and responsibly.

What Council Members Will Experience

Regardless of which track they join, participants will gain exposure to several dimensions of digital wellness research and leadership.

Work with Experts

Council members will have opportunities to learn from and interact with researchers and clinicians connected to Boston Children’s Hospital and Harvard Medical School.

Participants can gain insight into how researchers study young people’s relationships with technology and translate findings into practical recommendations.

Engage with Technology Decision-Makers

Students may share their perspectives directly with people working in the technology sector, including individuals involved in:

• AI development
• Product design
• Trust and safety
• Online wellbeing
• Digital policy

Young people therefore gain an unusual opportunity to communicate directly with adults whose decisions may influence the platforms and technologies they use.

Contribute to Research

Both Changemakers and Architects may contribute to Digital Wellness Lab research studies.

Young people can help researchers understand technology not simply through statistics but through lived experience.

Publish Through Teen Voices

Council members may also have opportunities to publish their perspectives through the Digital Wellness Lab’s Teen Voices platform.

Teen Voices features youth perspectives on issues related to growing up online.

Previous topics have included:

• Screen time
• Digital relationships and trust
• School phone restrictions
• Youth safety online
• Algorithmic influence

Why Youth Perspectives Matter

Young people are among the most active users of digital technology, yet decisions about technology are often made without sustained youth participation.

The Student Advisory Council seeks to change that by bringing young people directly into research and design conversations.

Council members can explain how digital environments affect:

• Friendships
• School experiences
• Mental health
• Identity
• Family relationships
• Communication
• Community participation
• Creativity
• Learning
• Personal safety

These perspectives can help researchers and technology leaders understand problems that may not be visible through adult observation alone.

Application Process

The application is designed to be relatively accessible.

Applicants should expect the form to take approximately:

20–30 minutes

The application includes short-answer questions.

No individual response should exceed:

250 words

Students should therefore aim to communicate clearly and specifically rather than writing long essays.

Finalist Interviews

Students selected as finalists will be invited to participate in a brief video interview before the final selection decision.

Applicants should be prepared to discuss:

• Why they care about digital wellness
• Their experiences with technology
• Which track interests them
• What issues they want to explore
• What they hope to contribute
• How they might use the experience in their school or community

Important Dates

Applicants should keep the following timeline in mind:

• 10 August 2026: Applications open
• 7 September 2026: Applications close
• 7 September 2026 at 11:59 PM ET: Final application deadline
• 18 September 2026: Council member announcement listed in the programme timeline
• Early October 2026: Virtual kickoff
• October 2026–May 2027: Projects, sessions, research participation, and industry conversations
• Spring 2027: Final presentations

The application materials also state that selected finalists will be notified in late September and invited to a short video interview. Because this timing differs slightly from the programme timeline listing 18 September for Council member announcements, applicants should follow the latest information provided through the official application portal.

Is the Programme Virtual?

Yes.

The regular Student Advisory Council activities are conducted virtually.

This allows selected students from different parts of the United States to participate without relocating or regularly travelling to Boston.

Applicants should nevertheless ensure that they can commit to the time expectations associated with their selected track.

Time Commitment

The expected monthly commitment depends on the track.

Changemakers

Approximately:

3–4 hours per month

Architects

Approximately:

8–10 hours per month

Students should consider schoolwork, extracurricular activities, employment, family responsibilities, and other commitments before choosing their preferred track.

Which Track Should You Choose?

Applicants interested in solving problems affecting young people today may find Changemakers the stronger fit.

Consider Changemakers if you want to:

• Improve digital wellbeing in your school
• Address smartphone use
• Explore healthier social-media habits
• Develop a community project
• Turn research into action

Applicants interested in technology development and the future of AI may prefer Architects.

Consider Architects if you want to:

• Discuss responsible AI
• Test emerging AI tools
• Influence technology designers
• Develop recommendations for industry
• Explore how future digital environments should be built

Applicants submit one application and can rank their preferred track.

Eligibility Requirements

Eligibility differs between the two tracks.

Changemakers Eligibility

Applicants should:

• Be aged 14–18 as of 1 October 2026
• Be a U.S. high school student
• Be enrolled in grades 9–12
• Be interested in digital wellness and youth technology issues
• Be able to participate virtually
• Be able to commit approximately 3–4 hours per month

Architects Eligibility

Applicants should:

• Be aged 16–20 as of 1 October 2026
• Be a U.S. high school or college student
• Generally be between 11th grade and college sophomore level
• Be interested in AI, digital environments, or emerging technology
• Be able to participate virtually
• Commit approximately 8–10 hours per month

Past Council members are welcome to apply for the Architects track.

Application Deadline

The deadline for the Digital Wellness Lab Student Advisory Council 2026–2027 is:

7 September 2026 at 11:59 PM Eastern Time

Applications submitted after the deadline may not be considered.

Students are encouraged not to wait until the final day, particularly because the application requires thoughtful short responses.

How to Apply

Interested students can review the programme details and access the application through the official Digital Wellness Lab website:

APPLY HERE

The application takes approximately 20–30 minutes to complete.

Applicants should read the track descriptions carefully before ranking their preference.

Questions and Support

Students, parents, teachers, counselors, and youth-organization leaders who have questions may contact the Digital Wellness Lab.

Email: dwl@childrens.harvard.edu

The Lab welcomes questions from both young applicants and adults helping students understand the programme.

Information for Teachers, Counselors and Youth Organizations

Educators and youth advocates are encouraged to share the opportunity with students who:

• Have strong opinions about technology
• Are interested in digital wellbeing
• Care about online safety
• Want to explore AI
• Demonstrate leadership potential
• Are interested in research
• Want their perspectives heard
• Care about improving their school or community

The programme may be particularly valuable for students whose lived experiences can bring perspectives that technology developers and researchers might otherwise overlook.

Conclusion

The Digital Wellness Lab Student Advisory Council 2026–2027 gives young people in the United States an unusual opportunity to move from being everyday technology users to active contributors in conversations about digital wellbeing, AI, online safety, research, and technology design.

Through its two new tracks, the programme accommodates different kinds of youth leadership.

Changemakers, aged 14–18, will turn digital wellness research into practical community action through individual projects.

Architects, aged 16–20, will focus on AI and emerging technology, helping develop recommendations for healthier digital environments.

Participants will work virtually with experts connected to Boston Children’s Hospital and Harvard Medical School while engaging with researchers, technology leaders, and policy influencers.

Applications opened on 10 August 2026 and close on 7 September 2026 at 11:59 PM ET.

For teenagers and young adults who have something meaningful to say about the technologies shaping their lives, this programme provides a rare opportunity to make sure those ideas reach people who can act on them.

To learn more and apply, VISIT HERE.

For more youth opportunities, CLICK HERE.