› 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.

Start Lesson 1 — free See the Builder Pack

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.

Unit 1

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

Unit 2

Data Shapes Behavior

The cat-detector lab — find where it breaks.

2.1Examples, labels, bias
2.2Edge cases on purpose
2.3Your dataset audit

Unit 3

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

Unit 4

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?

Unit 5

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

Unit 6

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

The Builder Pack. $29.

The course is free and stays free. The Builder Pack is the printable companion for kids (and parents) who want something tangible to hold, share, and stick on the fridge. Designed to make 20-minute lessons feel like a real craft.

· 12 letterpress-style prompt cards
· Claim-checking worksheet pad (50 sheets)
· Dataset-audit & workflow-map templates
· Parent guide: what your kid is actually learning
· Course completion certificate (named, signed)
· Hi, Bot sticker sheet

Reserve a Builder PackShips when the course launches. No charge until it ships.

› 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.

$5/mo

Ready when you are. Lesson 1 is right there.

One idea, twenty minutes. Then your kid decides if they want the next one.

Start Lesson 1 — free