Nerding: Ai App Makers – Context Engineers

Students learn what AI is, how it works, and how to use it effectively. The class frames AI as a superpower tool — something to wield skillfully, not fear or blindly trust. Students explore the full AI landscape including chatbots, image generation, music creation, video, AI agents, and coding. They learn context engineering (the skill that replaced prompt engineering in 2026) through hands-on practice, discovering that what information you give AI matters more than how you phrase the question. They compare different AI models side-by-side, explore AI agents that take multi-step actions, and discuss real-world impacts including jobs, ethics, recommendation algorithms, deepfakes, and privacy. The class culminates in a two-part final project: (1) A presentation about what they learned, and (2) a custom web app they designed, built with AI assistance, and deployed live. On Friday showcase day, parents experience AI firsthand and watch their kids demo real, working projects.   Grades 6 - 9 June 8 – June 12