› Free · self-paced · grades 6–8
AI Foundations. Think, test, build, decide.
A free course for curious middle schoolers. Six units. Eighteen 20-minute lessons. By the end, your kid can explain how AI works, spot when it's wrong, and build something small that's actually useful.
All six units are live now. No account needed to start — a parent's email is asked at the end of Lesson 1 so we can save your progress.
› Why this course exists
Tool tutorials expire. Foundations don't.
Most "AI for kids" courses teach a chatbot interface that will look nothing like the one your child uses in two years. We teach what doesn't expire: how systems learn from data, why they fail on edge cases, how to ask better questions, how to verify what you're told, how to build a workflow, and how to stay in charge of your own thinking.
The goal isn't tool fluency. The goal is clear thinkers, careful builders, skeptical readers, and confident creators in a world where AI will be everywhere.
› The 6 units
Eighteen lessons. Three per unit. All under 25 minutes.
AI Is Not Magic
Why fluent answers can still be wrong.
- 1.1What AI actually does
- 1.2Prediction vs. understanding
- 1.3Why it sounds confident
Data Shapes Behavior
The cat-detector lab — find where it breaks.
- 2.1Examples, labels, bias
- 2.2Edge cases on purpose
- 2.3Your dataset audit
Prompting Is Clear Thinking
Better questions, better answers — a card you'll keep.
- 3.1Role + goal + context
- 3.2Constraints and format
- 3.3The 'don't just answer me' move
Verification Is a Superpower
Stop trusting first answers — from anyone.
- 4.1The claim-check loop
- 4.2Sources that hold up
- 4.3What would change your mind?
Build a Tiny AI Workflow
Design a useful process, not just a chat.
- 5.1Pick a real problem
- 5.2Map the stack
- 5.3Ship & test your prototype
Privacy, Power, and You
What never to share — and writing your own rules.
- 6.1Before you paste, ask…
- 6.2Deepfakes and disclosure
- 6.3Your AI constitution
› How we teach
Deep work, then celebration.
Bright kids don't need longer lessons — they need lessons that respect their attention. Every lesson follows the same shape: a hook, one idea, hands-on practice, a reflection, and a moment of earned joy.
20-minute lessons
Hook, one idea, do the thing, reflect. Built for focus, not marathons.
Joy beats earn the work
Badges, share cards, unlockable printables. Deep work, then celebration.
No AI account required
Every lesson works with canned AI examples we control — safe for any age.
Real portfolio at the end
Prompt card, dataset audit, claim-checker, workflow prototype, AI constitution.
› Optional · paid companion · print at home
The Builder Pack. $29.
The course is free and stays free. The Builder Pack is the printed half of it, for kids (and parents) who want something tangible to hold, tick off, and stick on the fridge. 9 PDFs, 22 pages, designed to make 20-minute lessons feel like a real craft.
- · 12 keeper prompt cards — two per unit, cut-out
- · Claim-check worksheet (print one per claim)
- · Dataset-audit & workflow-map templates
- · Parent guide: what your kid is actually learning
- · Fill-in completion certificate + constitution page
- · Hi, Bot sticker sheet (12 badges)
Designed and in proofing. Reserve with an email and we'll send the checkout link the day it's ready — instant download, no charge now, no obligation.
› When your kid wants more
The course is the doorway. The clubhouse is the rest.
Kids who finish AI Foundations usually want to build the next thing with other kids. That's what Hi, Bot is for.
Activities Pass
The full library of brain games, writing studios, and at-home experiments.
Explore In personClubhouse & camps
Open-hours studio, after-school, summer & break camps, workshops.
See programs All tiersFounding pricing
Founding-member pricing while we open our doors. Locked in for life.
Compare› For the grown-ups
You can't teach a tool you've never used.
The hardest part of supervising a kid's AI use isn't setting a rule — it's having enough of your own experience to know which rules are worth setting. Our guide walks parents and teachers through building something real in an afternoon. Free, no coding required.
Ready when you are. Lesson 1 is right there.
One idea, twenty minutes. Then your kid decides if they want the next one.