AI Courses For Future Innovators

Hands-On Projects, Ethical Insights, and Real-world Applications

WHAT MAKES A SURESTART LEARNING EXPERIENCE…

Computational Action Based

Our AI courses are based on computational action — an approach to computing skill development that emphasizes development of students' computing abilities while fostering their computational identities and digital empowerment — with its impact and alignment to the latest in AI education ensured through our collaborations with tech universities like MIT and CMU.

  • Hands-on learning through real-world application: In all our courses, students learn concepts and tools related to AI through hands-on projects that address societal issues, helping them understand the impact of AI on human communities.

  • Identity Building: Learning to transform their abstract ideas into technical solutions for real-world challenges in our courses, boosts students’ confidence and self-efficacy as emerging technologists.

  • Ethical Considerations: All courses include discussion on ethical issues related to AI, such as data ownership, privacy, bias in algorithms, transparency and explainability, with a goal towards developing students’ ethical lens.

Support Network of Near-Peer Mentors and Industry Experts

Students in our courses are supported by a large and diverse community of near peer mentors and experts, who can provide learning support to students and inspire our students as role-models.

  • Our “near peer mentors” are top graduate students or senior undergraduates from universities across the country pursuing degrees in CS, Engineering or related fields

  • Our courses include “master-classes” from leading experts in industry, academia and research

  • Students have additional support via our Discord-based Mentor Center - where they can ask questions or get help on their assignments asynchronously 

  • Students gain insights for successful education and career pathways and build their professional networks through meaningful interactions with our mentors and experts.

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Strong Student Outcomes

Our engaging, interactive, and community-centered approach to teaching AI drives high completion rates — 85% in co-curricular settings and higher in-classroom. The tangible outcomes students gain from their participation in our AI courses include the following:

  • Demonstrable technical skills: Students’ increased knowledge of AI concepts, skills and applications is shown through a portfolio of projects or code samples.

  • College admissions: Majority of our high-school-aged alumni have advanced to college, including prestigious tech universities such as MIT, Cornell, Dartmouth, and UC Berkeley, with their SureStart experience prominently featured in their Statements of Purpose.

  • Internship Opportunities: Our students have secured technical internships, including at tech and AI giants like Amazon, Snap, Google, Microsoft, and Accenture, etc. following participation in our courses.

  • Awards and exceptional achievements: Our student teams independently competed in the MIT Global Appathon and won top awards. Notably, one of our students initiated a project through SureStart that earned them a 2023 Congressional Gold Medal for Youth, underscoring the strength and impact of our AI training programs.

Course Descriptions

Generative AI for Career Success

This course offering provides students with a foundational understanding of Gen AI, positioning them to succeed in careers that are increasingly intertwined with AI. Students will explore foundational AI concepts, Gen AI, LLMs, and ethical AI use and will learn to train AI models for creative tasks, craft effective prompts, and consider the ethical implications of AI in sociotechnical contexts.

The second half of the program focuses on applying these skills in real-world settings. Students use large language models (LLMs) for market research, storytelling, visual creation, and even music generation to design professional marketing materials. Guided by industry mentors, students integrate market research and content development skills to create a business presentation for a new product line or develop a fully designed, multi-channel marketing campaign. This hands-on experience culminates in a professional project that prepares them for careers at the intersection of AI, business, and innovation.

Foundations of AI and App Development

SureStart’s Foundations of AI and App Development course introduces students to the essentials of AI and app creation, emphasizing hands-on learning and problem-solving. Through interactive modules, students learn to build various applications — from mood trackers and virtual pets to generative AI chatbots — using block-based coding, databases, and UI/UX design principles. 

In the second section, students work in teams to identify community-based problems, design AI-driven solutions, and conduct market research using large language models (LLMs). The course concludes with a Makeathon, where students address real-world challenges by developing AI solutions and presenting them in a pitch-style competition before a panel of industry experts. By integrating technology skills with an entrepreneurial mindset, this course prepares students for future STEM and innovation pathways, building a foundation in ethical AI and real-world problem-solving.

Interested in learning more?

Reach out to us at info@mysurestart.com!