GROVE CITY — The Midwestern Intermediate Unit IV’s leadership class challenges some school districts’ brightest juniors and seniors.

The students, hand-picked for their leadership skills, were huddled together in groups of four or five at the most recent class, Feb. 19 at MIU IV’s Grove City headquarters.

They are from Butler, Lawrence and Mercer counties’ school districts. The students and their advisers filled the double meeting room, seated around tables that held two laptops, each group mapping out a high school course for the future.

“It gives us food for thought,” said Mark Korcinsky, principal of Seneca Valley Senior High School who attended the class. “Students have to take certain courses. This tells us what they would like to take.”

Each group will present its work to superintendents from the three counties April 10.

Two groups of students represent Butler County.

The senior group includes Emily Grecco, Butler; Katie Czekalski, Knoch; Nishi Tiwari, Seneca Valley; and Kelsi Steele, Slippery Rock.

The junior group includes Chase Wentz, Butler; Nathan Walls, Knoch; Maggie McKernan, Mars; Paige Foley, Seneca Valley; and Katie Antel, Slippery Rock.

The MIU IV program facilitators had encouraged the students to focus on science, technology, engineering and mathematics, or STEM classes, said co-facilitator Jill Manczka. After all, many of the students excel in these subjects.

But the students had other ideas. Most groups designed classes that employ technology tools — for research, communication or simulations — and blend them with classroom lectures and a combination of online and offline work. Other groups are eschewing technology to focus on improving their social skills, moving beyond texting.

“We’re taking the best parts of technology and integrating them with the classroom,” Emily said.

As these young people see it, technology tools, especially data-equipped cell phones, are as ordinary as pencils and will become more deeply integrated into every discipline.

“I think it’s impossible for (technological integration) not to happen,” said Katie. “For example, I got an e-mail from my bank earlier today that told me I had less than $100 in my account,” she said, holding up her cell phone. “I transferred $30 into my account.”

Like many adults, these high school seniors are looking to technology to make mundane tasks easier.

At the same time, the class they designed focuses on personal financial skills they’ll need after they leave their parents’ homes.

“The tag line is ‘Make mistakes in the classroom, not in the real world,’ said Kelsi.

It’s the content of the semesterlong course that they’re concerned about, not its delivery method.

“Now it’s assumed you have the technology,” said Emily. “Some people are giving up their land lines for cell phones. And I see my neighbor’s three-year-old walking around with an iPad.”

Nishi agrees.

“(Personal technology) will become smaller, faster, with higher resolution,” she said. “You don’t even need your TV anymore.”

The junior students’ group is using technology to enable students to explore their career choices in a class they call Career Quest.

“Computers will be used for a career aptitude test and online career research,” said Paige.

This class, also running for a semester, will combine classroom lectures that address a spectrum of careers with student-designed projects and college outreach.

“I’m going into computer science,” said Nathan, who said engineering career paths can include biomedical and computer sciences as well as more traditional paths like civil engineering.

Not surprisingly, his industry heroes are Mark Zuckerberg, Steve Jobs and Bill Gates, the titans of high tech success.

“I think that a lot more people are going to be going into STEM,” he said. “More classes are being offered in more fields.”

And young women wouldn’t think of being left behind.

“I think there aren’t enough people going into those fields, women especially,” said Maggie.

This paradigm shift, where the world is both online and off, technological and not, requires a new set of skills but doesn’t leave the old ones behind.

“It’s brought me together with meeting new people,” said Chase of his experience, a sentiment echoed by many of the students. “It shows me how we as citizens can come together.”