The Brightfield AI Academy is a structured after-school program built specifically for middle school students in grades 6–8. Sessions run one day per week, after school on the day and time of the hosting school’s choice.
Each day follows a clear rhythm: social time, community-building games, an engaging presentation from an AI expert, healthy snacks, a hands-on challenge, and a closing circle for reflection. This mix keeps students active, focused, and inspired while giving them real exposure to the tools shaping the future, including large language models, generative AI, and neural networks. Brightfield runs 18 weeks, with some flexibility depending on the hosting school’s schedule. See our curriculum below.
| Lesson | Challenge | Challenge Description |
|---|---|---|
| Intro to Brightfield + AI | AI Tool Demos | Kids will test different AI tools and see first-hand what’s possible with today’s technology. |
| How LLMs Read Text (Tokens & Probabilistic Modeling) | Decipher & Create Secret Codes | Students pair up to create and crack secret codes, exploring how AI models seem “magically” able to decode language. |
| AI as a Planner (Sequences & Constraints) | Travel Itinerary | Kids will use AI to design a full travel plan with flights, hotels, and activities. |
| Training Models with Data | Teachable Machine + Sorting | Using Google’s Teachable Machine, students will train a model to sort hand signals and images. |
| Robotics + AI Classification | Sorting Robot | Kids will program an Arduino-powered robot to sort LEGO bricks by color. |
| Logic + Algorithms | Write a Software Program | Students will design and build a simple task-management program. |
| Generative AI for Design | Company Branding Development | Using generative AI, students will create a logo, color palette, and brand guide for a fictional company. |
| AI-Assisted Programming | Programmable Blinking Lights | Kids will program Arduino lights to blink with music, then enhance patterns using AI-generated code. |
| Optimization + Trade-offs | Develop a LEGO Budget | Students will plan and budget a LEGO build where every piece “costs money,” assisted by AI budget tools. |
| AI for Knowledge Sharing | Document a Process | Students will write step-by-step guides with AI, then test them by having classmates follow the process. |
| AI in Communication (Personalization & Segmentation) | Email Campaign | In teams, kids will build an email campaign to invite families to the showcase, with roles split across AI-assisted tasks. |
| Simulation + Problem-Solving | Launch a Rocket | Kids will assemble and launch a digital rocket, solving AI-guided challenges to unlock each part. (Combining data from spreadsheets) |
| Capstone Project Week 1 | Project Sprint 1 | Students choose their own AI project idea and begin building with guided brainstorming and planning. |
| Capstone Project Week 2 | Project Sprint 2 | Kids refine their project, expanding features and testing with feedback. |
| Capstone Project Week 3 | Project Sprint 3 | Students finalize their project, polish presentations, and prepare for the showcase. |
| Showcase | Present Your Project | Students share their finished projects with parents, peers, and teachers in a celebration of their work. |