Each day included two breakout sessions. Within each breakout session, participants were assigned to one of three age-focused breakout rooms: PreK/Elementary School, Middle School, or High School and Beyond. All breakout rooms ran simultaneously during each breakout session.

Once a breakout session began, participants remained in their assigned room for the full duration of that session and were not be able to move between rooms. We made every effort to accommodate participants’ stated age-group preferences when assigning breakout rooms.

(Day 1) Tuesday, April 28, 2026 Breakout Sessions

12:30 PM ET Breakout Session | Youth Moral Development in a Digital World

    1. What specific skills and qualities of moral character are most needed for children to thrive today in an advancing digital age? By thrive, we mean to optimize children’s development in ways that buffer them from harm and expand their opportunities.
    2. What aspects of children’s experiences or interactions with technology and digital media affect their moral character development, either in positive or negative ways? 
    3. What might be changing about essential qualities of moral character youth need, or the contextual supports and practices that can best promote them, considering the role of digital media and rapidly evolving AI technologies?

2:00 PM ET Breakout Session | Youth Civic Development in a Digital World

    1. What specific skills and qualities of civic character are most needed for children to thrive today in an advancing digital age? By thrive, we mean to optimize children’s development in ways that buffer them from harm and expand their opportunities.
    2. What aspects of children’s experiences or interactions with technology and digital media affect their civic character development, either in positive or negative ways? 
    3. What might be changing about essential qualities of civic character youth need, or the contextual supports and practices that can best promote them, considering the role of digital media and rapidly evolving AI technologies?

(Day 2) Wednesday, April 29, 2026 Breakout Sessions

12:30 PM ET Breakout Session |  Youth Intellectual Development in a Digital World

    1. What specific skills and qualities of intellectual character are most needed for children to thrive today in an advancing digital age? By thrive, we mean to optimize children’s development in ways that buffer them from harm and expand their opportunities.
    2. What aspects of children’s experiences or interactions with technology and digital media affect their intellectual character development, either in positive or negative ways?
    3. What might be changing about essential qualities of intellectual character youth need, or the contextual supports and practices that can best promote them, considering the role of digital media and rapidly evolving AI technologies?

2:00 PM ET Breakout Session | Youth Performance Development in a Digital World

    1. What specific skills and qualities of performance character are most needed for children to thrive today in an advancing digital age? By thrive, we mean to optimize children’s development in ways that buffer them from harm and expand their opportunities.
    2. What aspects of children’s experiences or interactions with technology and digital media affect their performance character development, either in positive or negative ways?
    3. What might be changing about essential qualities of performance character youth need, or the contextual supports and practices that can best promote them, considering the role of digital media and rapidly evolving AI technologies?

(Day 3) Thursday, April 30, 2026 Breakout Sessions

4:50 PM ET Breakout  Session | Youth Perspectives and Engagement

    1. What can adults learn from youth about their engagement with tech?
    2. What are the most important character qualities youth need in today’s world and how can tech facilitate this? 
    3. How can youth be better supported with their tech use?
    4. What roles can and should youth themselves take as leaders or participants in this process, and what are the most effective methods of engagement?

(Day 4) Friday, May 1, 2026 Breakout Sessions

12:30 PM ET Breakout Session | Youth Interventions for Positive Character Development

    1. What family, community, and educational practices most effectively support youth character development in digital contexts? What systems, supports, and broader conditions are necessary to help young people flourish in a digitally connected world?
    2. What skills, knowledge, and capacities do adults need to effectively guide and support youth in their digital technology use?

2:00 PM ET Breakout Session | Digital Design for Positive Character Development

    1. Can virtuous technology be designed to promote positive character development, focusing on the unique developmental needs of youth from design through utilization?
    2. Do specific features of technology and digital media have unique effects on youth character development?
    3. What tech designs/policies can best support youth? What can we do to make these changes happen?