Curriculum Overview
Kids of all ages can make a real impact in the lives of others in their communities and in the world. It’s not just about learning about technology — it’s also about a framework for learning how to make a lasting impact with a project.
The materials on this site were developed by Nicole Pang, Cynthia Breazeal, and Hal Abelson at MIT (Personal Robots Group, App Inventor Group). It’s a resource free for all to use, and it is a crucial resource for MIT RAISE (Responsible A.I. for Social Empowerment and Education). The work is inspired by and extends important foundational work created by Michael Tissenbaum, Josh Sheldon, and Hal Abelson (2019).
Curriculum Blocks
What inspires you? What is an issue in your community? Start here to find a meaningful project: we will go through brainstorming, discovering what matters to you, and understanding what affects your community.
User research is crucial for helping you make a meaningful impact. Learn all about how to gather data from real users.
Dive into designing, wireframing, prototyping, iterating, and testing: a crucial iterative part of the process.
When you’re working on a project with a team, things can get messy – fast. Learn how to organize, implement your tasks, and get things done together.
What do you do when you’ve made a project? How do you figure out if it works? What about next steps? The last step is one of the most important!
Project Examples
Check out some student projects, a part of MIT FutureMakers 2021 program, that use computational action tools to make an impact in communities:
- Team Mad Apples. App Inventor. Equitable Resource Allocation.
- Team Youth of Tech. App Inventor. Vividly.
- Team Pineapples. App Inventor. Udiet.
- Team Pingstreak. App inventor. Pingstreak Reminder.
- Team Dyadic. Applied Deep Learning. WildFire Risk Prediction Model
- Team Innovaite. Applied Deep Learning. AI Spy.
- Team Fourteen. Applied Deep Learning. Mir: The Productivity Robot
- Team Newron. Applied Deep Learning. Novelty.
- Team Artificial Elegance. Applied Deep Learning. MyBuddy: For Teens with Autism.
- Team Code Blue. Applied Deep Learning. Facial Asymmetry Stroke Test.