Nonprofit 0.5 the Story highlights Digital Civics Academy, trains teens on AI and digital wellness

Lars May, founder and executive director of 0.5 the Story, outlined the nonprofit's Digital Civics Academy and its emphasis on preparing young people for an AI-driven future. May told the host the one-week program is co-designed by teens and focuses on agency, critical thinking, storytelling, mental health and practical civic engagement.

May said the academy enrolled 95 teens from 70 cities in seven countries for the current cohort and that sessions give students opportunities to meet emerging tech companies and legal advocates. "We have 95 kids from 70 cities and 7 countries," May said, adding the program is intended to make digital-wellness education equitable and accessible.

Explaining her organization's broader mission, May said "technology really can be a tool or a weapon," and described 0.5 the Story's shift from a college project to a global nonprofit that partners with schools and policy makers. She cited prior collaboration with the governor of New York on phone-free schools as an example of the group's policy work.

May framed technology as a public-health concern, saying, "we look at technology as a social determinant of public health," and argued that teens need both technical skills and knowledge of their rights when using AI. She emphasized a behavior-focused approach to digital wellness: rather than measuring screen time, ask whether young people are "actively consuming or creating content" and, she said, "Do you wanna be a creator, or do you wanna be a passive consumer?"

The program pairs teens with industry and advocacy figures; May named Suno, storyteller Allison Stoner, and Laura Marquez Garrett of the Social Media Victims Law Center as scheduled contributors to help students explore career paths and civic action. A short video played during the interview featured several participants saying they hoped to learn advocacy skills and critical thinking about AI. Adia, a 17-year-old participant, said she was "really excited about Digital Studies Academy because I think we're living in a really strange moment online where young people are constantly shaping digital spaces, but we're not taught properly how to navigate them."

May also noted an office in Manhattan that hosts regular sessions for teens from different boroughs and said the organization plans to expand local cohorts and support teams to host their own community events. She provided the organization's website, 0.5thestoryproject.org, and encouraged teens and parents to reach out.

May closed by noting the program's aim to equip young people with skills to navigate emerging technology responsibly and to take part in local policy conversations. The host said May would return to discuss AI in more depth; the show then moved to a scheduled break.