5th grade parent
“Matt is a fantastic teacher. Our daughter was enthusiastic to go back every day. At the end of each session, she was excited to show us what she learned.”
Program Overview & Logistics
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Check out the Enroll page for locations and times and age groups.
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Last November, right before the PPS strike, I started thinking about what I could teach my kid that wasn’t going to be covered by their teachers, but would be crucial for their future. The answer I kept coming back to was AI.
Like it or not, AI is here to stay. It’s already reshaping almost every industry—tech, medicine, construction, art—you name it. And as these tools evolve, they’ll continue to change the future. So, to best position my kid for what’s ahead, I knew they needed to understand AI: what it can do, where it falls short, and the potential negative impacts.
Since I was already teaching my own kid, I figured, why not help out the community, too? I invited about a dozen of her school friends to join us for some half-day AI camps at my house. I thought it would be a day or two, but it ended up going on for weeks. The kids couldn’t get enough, and the parents loved how engaged their kids were. Some parents even got pulled into the fun themselves!
A few parents suggested I turn this into a full after-school program. At the time, I was working full-time in tech and didn’t think it was possible. But then, I decided to make a career pivot and head back to school this Fall, which opened up some time. Now, I’m making this class a reality.
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Think of it like a great episodic TV show—each week follows the same structure, but what we explore and learn will be different every time.
1. First, Show the kids something cool that’s out there in the world.
2. Discuss how they think it was done, what’s great about it, and what could be improved.
3. Reveal how it was actually made, giving them a mini-history or behind-the-scenes look.
4. Dive into a bit of morals and philosophy: Is this a good thing? A bad thing? Who benefits from it? Who might be negatively affected? How could it be used for good, and how might someone misuse it?
5. Isolate a key component and demonstrate how it works using the tools they’ll be working with.
6. Finally, the kids break into small teams and try it out for themselves on their devices.
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No, no prior experience needed, and they won't need to know how to code.
The only skill that would be useful is an ability to type, but even that we can get around a bit with...you guessed it, AI.
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At the moment we're limited to 20 kids per class. That helps me as an instructor, and makes sure that your kids can stay actively engaged.
Tools & Curriculum
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We’ll mainly be exploring Large Language Models (LLMs), Image Generators, Sound/Music Generators, Image-to-Video Generators, and Text-to-Video Generators. As new tools emerge, we’ll dive into those as well.
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For LLMs, we’ll use familiar ones like ChatGPT, Google’s Gemini, and Meta’s LLaMa (get it? LLM → LLaMa?) for most of our text-based interactions. As the kids get more comfortable, we might even download models and train them to interact in ways specific to us—since customizing AI is going to be a crucial skill for the future.
Kids love visuals, so we’ll also dive into image generators like DALL-E, Imgen3, Midjourney, and Flux. At first, it might just be fun and silly images, but we’ll explore deeper by looking at styles, artists, and references. It could almost turn into a mini ‘art history’ class where they’ll start noticing and honing in on different styles and influences they like.
This field is so new that any day could bring the release of a brand-new tool. I’ll keep an eye on what’s out there, stay in tune with what the kids are interested in, and introduce fresh tools for them to explore.
Ultimately, this is about unlocking your kids’ creativity and letting it shine. I can’t wait to see what they come up with!
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We’ve got a set of shiny MacBook Air laptops that the kids will share during class.
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Not exactly. The specifics of what we cover each week depend on the kids’ interests and pacing.
We focus on what’s fresh and exciting for the group, with each week featuring a new mini project. There will be a few multi-week projects, but I aim to keep those to a minimum.
As a sneak preview, in the first session, the kids will create a music video. They’ll use an LLM to generate lyrics, work with a music generator to create tunes, use an image generator for visuals, and then merge it all together with image-to-video and text-to-video tools.
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Parents will have access to a Google Drive folder containing everything we’re working on in class. It will include lesson overviews, the tools we’re using, links to cool new resources, and most importantly, the work your kids are creating—so you can follow along and see their progress.
AI & Education Philosophy
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Screens aren’t the bad guy—mindlessly consuming algorithmic feeds is. The average person scrolls through 300 feet of social media every day, and that’s not great, especially when done in isolation.
What we’ll be doing in class couldn’t be more different. We’ll work together in groups to discuss ideas, break into small teams to plan and experiment, and use our creativity to take new tools or concepts and mix them with our interests to create something entirely new. This class is all about building creativity.
Screens are just a medium; it’s what you do with them that matters.
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It can be. You could ask AI to “write my paper for me,” and it’ll do it, but that’s not the point.
Mindless, non-creative uses of AI won’t help our kids move forward. It’s the people who understand how AI works, know how to frame the right questions, and can recognize its limitations who will thrive.
That’s why I created The Over AI-chievers Club—to prepare our kids for the future ahead.
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The short answer is: Yes, like all technology.
But the long answer is more complex. Spreadsheets replaced many accounting tasks, looms changed the textile industry, and tractors replaced oxen—but we still have finances, fabrics, and food. It’s how those things are done that evolves, and that evolution opens up new fields of work.
I’m not a futurist—don’t even play one on TV—but I can’t imagine a future where most jobs don’t interact with AI in some way. That’s why we need to teach kids about AI now, so they can be the ones driving the change, not being driven by it.
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They sure are!
When I teach adults, they’ve had years to master keeping a straight face, even when they’re bored. Kids, on the other hand, let you know right away what’s working and what isn’t—and that’s a gift. It allows me to adjust and keep things engaging in real time.
I’ve been a camp counselor, sports coach, taught Lego Robotics in elementary schools, and I have two bright young kids of my own.
My fundamental rules for class are simple:
Don’t die
Have fun
And if we learn something cool along the way, even better!
Instructor Qualifications
& Safety
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I’ve been working with Machine Learning since my senior project in college. I’ve trained AI models at Amazon, developed their first course using neural net-based text-to-voice programs, and applied AI in various professional roles. Locally, I’ve worked for companies like New Relic and a little place called Amazon.
Teaching has always been a part of me. At 14, I was leading educational sessions on herpetology. In college, I was a teaching assistant for the engineering program. Since 2006, I’ve traveled the U.S. and internationally, training people on software and hardware. I’ve taught thousands in person, and my course materials have reached many more.
I’ve made a career of helping smart people learn how to do hard things. And I’m good at it.
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During each lesson, and before each activity, we will make sure to remind the kids about information that should and should not be online.
Their projects will only be shared privately between the kids in class and their parents.
I'll do my best to keep any sort of personal information out of cloud based systems.
If for some reason we want to do something more personal, I will make sure that it stays local to the devices. And I'll wipe the machines after each Session.
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I sure did! AI helped me refine and polish the FAQ, but the ideas and insights are all mine. It’s a perfect example of how AI can assist with creativity without replacing it. This is exactly the kind of collaboration between humans and AI that I teach the kids in this program.
The AI revolution isn’t just coming—it’s here.
And yes, it’s a little scary.
But it’s also full of promise.
We get it—AI feels new, it feels big, and it feels a little out of control. But imagine a world where your child isn’t just swept up by these changes, but is actually leading them. Our program is designed to give kids the skills they need to understand AI, harness it, and use it to their advantage—not the other way around.
What we do
We’ll explore AI from all angles—how it works, where it’s going, and what it means for our kids’ futures. Each week, students will engage in hands-on activities that make these big concepts accessible and, most importantly, empowering. This isn’t about preparing for a dystopian future; it’s about equipping your child with the tools to build a better one.
About the teacher
Matt is a seasoned tech professional with a heart for teaching. He’s spent decades in the field, but what really sets him apart is his ability to connect with kids and make learning exciting. With a focus on ethics and empowerment, Matt’s goal is to prepare your child to not just survive in an AI-driven world,
but to thrive in it.
5th grade parent
“Soul of patience. Glutton for punishment.“
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