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› Interactive runbook

Hi, Bot. Where builders begin.

A 2-hour build-your-own-AI popup for middle schoolers.

2 hours · No computers · Teams of 3–4

› Core hypothesis

Kids who build something physical and name it self-identify as builders. That identity moment converts to a program signup. This popup is a conversion event disguised as a workshop.

The real success metric is the sentence a kid says to their parent on the drive home: “I built a robot today.”

Run of show

Two hours, three stations, one launch.

  1. 0:0020 min

    Opening — Hook with identity

    Don't frame it as a class. “By the end of today, you'll have launched something.” Each kid states their name + one problem they hate. Write it on the whiteboard.

    Facilitator-ledWhiteboard
  2. 0:2020 min
    Station 1

    Design Your Bot's Brain

    Teams pick one Who card + one What card → one-sentence brief. Complete the Bot Brain Sheet: script 3 dialogue exchanges, write 3 If/Then rules. This is their decision tree.

    5 min cards15 min brain sheet
  3. 0:4020 min
    Station 2

    Break Another Team's Bot

    Teams swap Brain Sheets. Chaos Deck: pick 3 cards that break the other bot's logic. Write failures on red sticky notes and return them. ML edge-case testing.

    Chaos DeckRed stickies
  4. 1:0040 min
    Station 3

    Build and Name Your Bot

    Get the Brain Sheet back with red stickies. Fix 2 problems. Build a physical bot: it must show input, process, output. Name it. Write a pitch sentence.

    Build kit40 min
  5. 1:4010 min

    Demo Day

    Teams present to each other — not to facilitators. Hold the bot, say the sentence, point to features. Photo taken. Founder Cards distributed.

    Peer audienceFounder cards
  6. 1:5010 min

    Close — Soft ask

    “Who wants to keep going?” — pause — “We run a 3-month program. Here's what you'd build next.” One sentence. Hand the program half-sheet directly to parents.

    Parent handoutConversion
Print the event cards
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