Want to make an impact on the tech you and your friends use every day?
When you’re selected to become a member of the Digital Wellness Lab’s Student Advisory Council, you’ll work directly with researchers and clinicians at Boston Children’s Hospital, tech industry leaders, and policy influencers to help shape a healthier digital ecosystem for young people.
Start your application
About
Have a meaningful voice in the future of digital media
Now in its fifth year, the Student Advisory Council (the Council) is the Digital Wellness Lab’s flagship youth initiative in which a small group of teens, selected each year from across the US, works with the Lab throughout the school year. Council members share how technology fits into young people’s lives, help shape what the Lab studies next, and weigh in on new ideas before they reach the wider world. Your contributions show up in real and meaningful ways: research studies, published resources, and feedback to make online spaces safer for youth.
Work with experts
Learn from and be mentored by researchers and clinicians at Boston Children’s Hospital and Harvard Medical School.
Make tech healthier
Share your perspective directly with decision-makers—from AI developers to trust and safety leaders—and help make tech healthier for young people.
Leave your mark
Put your ideas to work on community projects, recommendations to tech designers, contributions to the Lab’s research, and more.
NEW FOR 2026–27
Two ways to participate
Today’s digital landscape requires two different approaches: learning how to thoughtfully live alongside the technology that already surrounds us, and actively building the unknown tech of tomorrow. Changemakers will take on the digital challenges teens face today, and Architects will help shape the technology coming next. Fill out a single application and rank which track you’d prefer. Both tracks run from early October 2026 through the end of May 2027. Whichever track you join, you’ll also have the opportunity to contribute directly to the Lab’s research studies and publish content on the Lab’s Teen Voices platform.
TRACK A
Changemakers
Put research into action.
Tackle the digital challenges teens face right now: social media, phone policies, gaming, and online mental health, to name a few. You’ll pick a specific issue affecting your peers, school, or community, learn what the research says about it, and build a project around it with the support of a Lab mentor.
Who: Ages 14–18*, US high school students
Commitment: 3–4 hours/month (virtual)
You’ll create: An individual action project addressing a digital wellness challenge in your school or community.
Choose to become a Changemaker if you want to take action on digital wellbeing challenges you see right now in your community.
TRACK B
Architects
Shape the future of tech.
Get a seat at the table with tech creators and developers. Focused heavily on AI, chatbots, and generative tech, this group works as a team, sharing their experiences and ideas for making tech healthier for young people.
Who: Ages 16–20*, US high school or college (past Council members invited to apply)
Commitment: 8–10 hours/month (virtual)
You’ll create: Co-authored, published industry recommendations; and hands-on testing of emerging AI tools.
Choose to become an Architect if you want to share your ideas about how to safely build the AI tools and digital environments of tomorrow.
*based on your age as of October 1, 2026
Apply now!
Applications close September 7, 2026 at 11:59 PM ET
The application takes about 20–30 minutes and requires short answers—no longer than 250 words. If you’re selected as a finalist, we’ll invite you to a brief video interview before making our final decision.
Key Dates
October 2026 – May 2027
Aug 10
Applications open
Sept 7
Applications close
Sept 18
2026-27 Council members announced
Early Oct
Virtual kickoff
Oct–May
Projects, sessions, industry conversations
Spring 2027
Final presentations
Know a teen who belongs on the Council?
Calling all educators, counselors, and youth advocates! Looking for an impactful growth opportunity for your students? The Digital Wellness Lab’s Student Advisory Council equips teens with mentorship, research literacy, and strategic leadership skills. Download the flyer to share, or feel free to email us with questions.
FAQs
Your questions, answered
Eligibility depends on the track you choose (based on your age as of October 1, 2026).
Changemakers: Open to high school students in grades 9–12 (ages 14–18).
Architects: Open to older youth from 11th grade through college sophomores (ages 16–20).
The 2026-27 Student Advisory Council commitment is from October 2026 through May 2027. Changemakers should expect to spend 3–4 hours a month. Architects will need to allow 8–10 hours a month.
If you are under the age of 18, a parent or guardian must consent for you to apply and participate.
All regular meetings will be virtual. We are currently hoping to host an in-person co-design summit for the Architects’ group in Spring 2027.
Please select one track. Choosing a single track helps us tailor your program experience, assign specialized projects, and pair you with the best mentors for your goals.
The Student Advisory Council is free. If we hold an Architects co-design summit, all travel costs will be covered by the Lab.
Past members are invited to apply for the Architects track.
No. The Council is run by the Digital Wellness Lab, an independent research lab at Boston Children’s Hospital.
We generally seek US-based students, due to scheduling and timezone reasons. If you’re from a timezone aligned with the Pacific to Eastern zones in the US, we welcome your application.
Teen Voices
In their words
Teen Voices is where Council members and teen contributors publish their perspectives on growing up online.
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Would You Give 25 Years of Your Life to an App?
In a new Teen Voices video “Watch This If Your Screen Time is Over 2 Hours,” Student Advisory Council member Jackson B. shares his teen-led perspective on screen time, algorithm…
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More Than a Text—Why Digital Closeness Isn’t a Guarantee of Real-Life Safety
Read the latest Teen Voices feature by Student Advisory Council member Ayanna exploring the illusion of digital trust, the gray areas of youth relationship safety, and why online closeness shouldn’t…
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You Locked the Phone, But Forgot to Unlock the Classroom
Read this powerful Teen Voices perspective by Student Advisory Council member Vihaan on school phone bans—as he makes the case that the political momentum to restrict digital spaces must be…
We believe that by following the science, we can create an empathetic and respectful world in which our kids can grow up healthy, smart, and kind.
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