Teaching Girls to Lead in the Age of Artificial Intelligence

Artificial intelligence is transforming how we learn, work, and communicate. At Chatham Hall, we believe the most important question isn’t whether students should use AI; it’s whether they know how to think critically, ethically, and confidently alongside it.

That philosophy was recently shared on an international stage when Frankie Beyer, Chatham Hall’s Health & Wellness Teacher, presented her action research at the International Coalition of Girls’ Schools (ICGS) Global Forum in Toronto. Alongside Sydney Costa of the Girls Athletic Leadership School in Denver, Beyer explored how girls are navigating the rapidly evolving world of artificial intelligence and what schools can do to prepare them to lead thoughtfully in it.

Beyer’s research focused on an important question: How can AI help students better understand themselves without replacing the critical thinking and self-awareness that make them uniquely human?

Working with a group of Chatham Hall ninth-grade students, she combined social-emotional learning with emerging technology by asking students to track their daily emotions and activities over two weeks. Students then used AI to analyze patterns in their own data, helping them better understand the connection between their habits, emotions, and overall well-being.

The results were encouraging. Students developed stronger emotional intelligence, increased their ability to identify and name complex emotions, and became more intentional about the choices that influenced their mood and well-being. Many recognized how spending time outdoors, getting enough sleep, or connecting with friends positively affected their emotional health.

Perhaps the most surprising finding, however, was how thoughtfully students approached artificial intelligence itself.

Rather than accepting AI’s conclusions at face value, many questioned its limitations. Students recognized that AI could identify patterns in data, but it couldn’t fully understand the complexity of human emotion or lived experience. Some even chose to analyze their data independently to strengthen their critical thinking before relying on technology.

Those insights mirrored the broader research presented by Costa, whose middle school students examined AI-generated images and career descriptions. Her students identified gender and racial biases in AI outputs, questioned overly simplistic portrayals of careers, and expressed concerns about AI’s impact on creativity, employment, and the environment. Together, the two studies revealed something powerful: girls are not simply eager adopters of new technology; they are thoughtful evaluators of it.

For Beyer, that’s exactly the point.

“Technology will continue to evolve,” she said. “Our responsibility is to ensure students develop the confidence, emotional intelligence, and critical thinking skills to use these tools wisely rather than allowing the tools to shape how they think.”

This work reflects Chatham Hall’s commitment to preparing young women for a future that doesn’t yet exist. Through a living-and-learning environment that emphasizes inquiry, self-awareness, and leadership, students learn to ask meaningful questions, consider multiple perspectives, and make thoughtful decisions in an increasingly complex world.

At Chatham Hall, we don’t simply teach girls how to use emerging technologies. We prepare them to lead with them, guided by curiosity, integrity, and the confidence to think for themselves.