Classes

Python Programming Foundations is a beginner-friendly course for students who want to learn how programming actually works by building small, understandable projects. No prerequisites are required. Throughout the course, students will learn the core ideas behind Python programming: variables, input and output, conditionals, loops, functions, lists, debugging, and how to break a larger problem into smaller steps. The class is designed for foundation-level learners, so students do not need to already feel confident in computer science before joining. Curriculum outline: 1. Getting comfortable with Python syntax and the coding environment. 2. Using variables, input, and output to make interactive programs. 3. Making decisions with if-statements and Boolean logic. 4. Repeating work with loops and recognizing patterns in problems. 5. Organizing code with functions and readable structure. 6. Working with lists and simple data. 7. Debugging mistakes and explaining how a solution works. 8. Building small challenge projects that combine the skills from class. By the end of the course, students should be able to read, write, test, and improve beginner Python programs with more confidence. The course will also help students prepare for AYCS competition-style coding challenges and the Computer Science Olympics. At the end of the course, students will have the chance to participate in a friendly coding competition with prize money planned, where they can use the problem-solving skills they practiced in class.

AI Foundations is a foundation-level introduction to artificial intelligence for students who want to understand how modern AI tools work and how people can use them responsibly. Students familiar with Python will have an advantage, but the course can still be taken without having completed the Python course. The class focuses on the ideas behind AI rather than treating AI as magic. Students will explore how computers use data, patterns, prompts, and simple models to make predictions or generate responses. Activities are designed for middle and early high school students, with clear explanations and hands-on examples. Curriculum outline: 1. What AI is, what it is not, and where students see it in everyday life. 2. Data, patterns, predictions, and why AI systems can make mistakes. 3. Prompting and evaluating AI tools carefully instead of blindly trusting them. 4. Basic Python-supported AI activities, using code where it helps understanding. 5. Simple classification and prediction ideas through student-friendly examples. 6. Ethics, bias, privacy, academic honesty, and responsible AI use. 7. Mini-projects where students use AI tools to solve or explain a problem. 8. Competition-style practice problems that connect logic, code, and AI thinking. By the end of the course, students should be more comfortable discussing AI, using AI tools thoughtfully, and connecting AI concepts to coding and problem solving. The course will help students prepare for AYCS competition-style challenges and the Computer Science Olympics. At the end of the course, students will have the chance to participate in a friendly coding competition with prize money planned.

Robotics Foundations introduces students to the ideas behind building and programming robots, even if they have never worked with a robotics kit before. Students learn how robots sense the world, make decisions, follow instructions, and solve challenges through step-by-step logic. The class is designed as a foundation-level AYCS course. Students will explore robot movement, sensors, simple control systems, debugging, and teamwork through approachable projects and demonstrations. No robotics experience is required. When hardware is not available, the class can use simulations and software-based activities so students can still learn the core ideas clearly.

JavaScript Foundations helps students understand how websites become interactive. Students learn variables, functions, events, conditionals, loops, and simple page interactions through projects that make the language feel practical. This is a beginner-friendly course for students who want to move beyond static pages and start building things people can click, change, and use. No prior JavaScript experience is required. Familiarity with basic coding ideas can help, but the course is designed to explain concepts from the ground up.

C++ Programming Foundations introduces students to one of the most important languages used in competitive programming, robotics, games, and performance-focused software. Students learn core programming ideas such as variables, input and output, conditionals, loops, functions, arrays, and debugging. The course is foundation-level, but it is a little more technical than the Python class. Students do not need previous C++ experience. Prior exposure to Python or another beginner language can help, but motivated beginners can still take the class and build confidence step by step.