Youth programming
program overview
FutureMakers: AI for Community is Techbridge Girls’ newest STEM Club curriculum designed for youth in grades 3–5 and 6–8. Through hands-on investigations, data science, and community-centered problem solving, participants explore how artificial intelligence works while building critical thinking, STEM skills, and confidence as future technology leaders.
- Grades: Grades 3–5 and Grades 6–8
- Format: STEM Club
- Length: 8–10 lessons, approximately 45–60 minutes per session
- Cost: Free for participating schools, afterschool programs, libraries, community organizations, faith-based organizations, and youth-serving partners
- Materials Included: Facilitator-ready curriculum, STEM kit, student materials, educator training, and implementation support
Program Description
FutureMakers takes a different approach to AI education.
Rather than simply teaching students to use AI tools, FutureMakers helps them understand how artificial intelligence works, how data influences decisions, where bias can appear, and why human judgment matters.
Through hands-on STEM investigations and community-centered design challenges, participants explore foundational AI and data science concepts while solving real-world problems.
Learning Outcomes:
- Explain what AI is and how human-created AI systems work
- Understand how data influences predictions and decision-making
- Identify how bias and incomplete information can affect technology systems
- Collect, organize, analyze, and interpret data
- Apply systems thinking and the engineering design process
- Collaborate with peers to investigate and solve community challenges
- Build and communicate STEM solutions
- Use STEM, data science, and AI vocabulary with confidence
Why AI Education Matters
Artificial intelligence is increasingly influencing education, healthcare, employment, transportation, media, and daily life. As AI continues to shape society, AI literacy is becoming as essential as traditional literacy. Techbridge Girls programs give young people the opportunity to understand the technologies shaping their lives, question how those technologies work, and imagine how they can use STEM to improve their communities.
With AI still being shaped, now is the time to ensure that women, people of color, and other historically marginalized groups are included in its development. Without intentional efforts to broaden participation, the perspectives and experiences of many communities may continue to be overlooked in the systems shaping our future.
FutureMakers helps ensure that young people are not simply consumers of technology, but informed users, critical thinkers, problem-solvers, and future creators.