Think for yourself.
Make a first attempt. Notice what you know, what you assume and where you are unsure.
A mind of your own.
In the age of AI.
Try a thought experiment A world full of answers needs people who ask better questions. We help young minds practise the art of thinking for themselves.
Explore the workshops
Every question opens a possibility.
Wonder
Start with curiosity. ↗
Look beyond a convincing answer.
Evidence
Follow the evidence. ↗
Make room for a mind of your own.
Judgement
Form your own judgement. ↗For schools in SwitzerlandPilot programme in preparation
01 / THE IDEA
An answer is not yet
understanding.
AI can give us an answer in seconds. Knowing what to make of it takes something more: attention, knowledge, questions and judgement.
Independent thinking needs practice. AI should help us practise. Faculty of Mind makes space for the habits that turn information into understanding.
“Use it or lose it” is a call to practise—not a claim that AI damages the brain.
02 / A SMALL THOUGHT EXPERIMENT
Sounds convincing.
But is it?
A fictional school is considering a quiet reading corner. Here is a confident recommendation. What would you want to know?
A prepared example · not a real AI response
“Nine out of ten children want a reading corner. It will help everyone learn. No one loses out.”
Follow your curiosity. Open a question.
01Who was asked?
A group is not the whole school.
Nine of ten volunteers in the library club wanted the corner for some lunchtimes. The rest of the school was not asked.
Ask: whose views are missing?02What does it prove?
Preference is not proof of learning.
Wanting a reading corner tells us about preferences. It does not tell us whether everyone will learn more.
Ask: what would count as evidence?03What is missing?
There may be a trade-off.
The proposed corner would occupy half the current ball-game space. A good decision should consider both quiet reading and play.
Ask: what other options could work?03 / A HABIT TO TAKE WITH YOU
Think. Check.
Make your case.
Before AI. Alongside AI. Without AI.
Follow the evidence.
Check the original source. Look for another explanation. Ask what would change your mind.
Explain your judgement.
Give reasons for your conclusion. Listen to objections. Revise when the evidence calls for it.
04 / BRING IT INTO THE CLASSROOM
Small questions.
A habit of thinking.
A practical workshop and a rhythm of short follow-up exercises. Designed to fit into school life, with the class teacher involved throughout.
Grades 5–6 · approximately ages 10–12
The evidence detectives
A schoolyard decision. Conflicting wishes. A very confident answer. Pupils investigate sources, compare explanations and give reasons for a decision.
- Tell a claim from evidence
- Notice whose perspective is missing
- Explain a decision in their own words
Lower secondary · approximately ages 12–15
The case for a better question
A learning app claims impressive results. Students inspect the numbers, challenge persuasive language and debate what the evidence actually supports.
- Read beyond the headline
- Test numbers, sources and alternative explanations
- Defend—and revise—a reasoned judgement
Discuss a pilot with us
First focus: German-speaking Switzerland. Scope, dates and fees are agreed with each school. The programme has not yet been evaluated.
05 / THE PERSON BEHIND IT
A lawyer’s questions.
A learner’s curiosity.
I’m Jonas Hertner, a lawyer. In legal work, a convincing statement is only the beginning. What supports it? What is missing? What would the other side say?
Faculty of Mind brings those questions into the classroom through age-appropriate cases. The aim is to help students form their own judgement—and know when to reconsider it.
Jonas HertnerLawyer · Founder of Faculty of Mind
An independent educational initiative. Educational review and preparation with participating schools form part of the pilot design.
06 / GROUNDED IN RESEARCH
Curiosity, with
an evidence base.
The evidence is developing. These studies inform our approach; they do not establish the effectiveness of this programme.
01↗02↗03↗
Assistance is not always learning.
In a high-school maths study, general-purpose AI help improved assisted work but led to lower later unaided performance than in the control group. A hint-based tutor largely avoided that disadvantage. One subject and setting.
Bastani et al. · PNAS · 2025Good design can help.
A carefully designed AI tutor improved immediate learning in a university physics study. Lasting effects and effectiveness for younger pupils were not established.
Kestin et al. · Scientific Reports · 2025Source checking can be taught.
After six lessons, high-school pupils improved their judgements of online credibility compared with a matched group. This was structured teaching, not a single AI workshop.
Wineburg et al. · J. Educational Psychology · 2022THE PRACTICAL QUESTIONS
Who are the workshops for?
The first formats are for grades 5–6 and lower secondary schools in German-speaking Switzerland. Activities and language are adapted with the class teacher. Other ages and teaching languages can be discussed.
Do pupils need to use an AI tool?
No. The core workshop uses prepared examples and printed materials. Pupils do not need accounts or personal devices. Any live demonstration would be agreed with the school in advance.
How does this fit into teaching?
The activities practise evaluating information, taking different perspectives and giving reasons. These are relevant to media and information literacy and cross-curricular skills in Lehrplan 21. The precise fit is agreed with the teacher; this is not a cantonal endorsement.
Is this an anti-AI programme?
No. AI can support learning. The question is how to use it while preserving opportunities to think, question and explain for yourself. We practise with and without assistance.
What is the role of the teacher?
The teacher helps adapt the workshop and remains present. Six short follow-up activities are provided for use in class. Educational review is part of preparation before the first pilot.
How can our school take part?
Send Jonas a short email with your school, year group and preferred period. We will discuss a suitable format, preparation, timing and fees. The pilot is being prepared; no date is reserved by an enquiry.
THE FUTURE NEEDS INDEPENDENT MINDS.
Let’s make room
for thinking.
Bring Faculty of Mind to your school. Start with a conversation.
Start a conversationjh@jonashertner.com