Dan & Cassidy Towriss IDEA Space KC

Summer AI Intensive Offered Only at IDEA Space

An AI intensive that teaches students how to create and use AI responsibly will return to IDEA Space this summer. Designing Projects for Social Good with Generative AI is a live, project-based enrichment program taught by Stanford, MIT and Ivy League specialists.
Last June, students in grades 8-12 enrolled in the program followed a two-part structure beginning with essential AI  curriculum, followed by a hands-on project development phase. In the first half of the two-week course, participants studied core AI architectures — machine learning, computer vision, neural nets and natural language processing.

"Students did a fair amount of hands-on work in Python and, you know, spent time delving into some of the ethical conundrums and social complexities surrounding the development and deployment of the tech, said jared Greene, Chief Academic Officer, Inspirit AI. "For example, issues around algorithmic bias are typically very eye-opening for students these days."

Students also touched broadly on the associated costs of AI during group discussions, then broke into two project groups. One group built a model to detect pneumonia using real chest X-rays. The other group used computer vision technology in conjunction with data from NASA's Kepler telescope to try to identify habitable exoplanets. Interesting — two completely different kinds of projects using the same technology. 

"One of the great things about AI is that it can be used for almost anything, so a lot of what we're doing with the projects is stepping students through each phase of the research lifecycle, with an emphasis on model development, testing and training," Greene said.

Why is it important for middle and upper school students to start adapting to AI technology now, learning about it, and realizing that they'll never be done learning about it? Greene points to the 'building the airplane as we fly it' theory. "I also think part of it is helping students, especially those who don't see themselves doing the work of computer science, really learning how AI is transforming the disciplines and domains surrounding them, you know, whether that's astronomy, healthcare, sports, finance or public policy.

"AI from a student perspective is inherently interdisciplinary, right? It's nothing until it's applied to something. So a lot of it is like, how do we like marshal the resources of these technologies to identify problems and then find creative solutions to them?"

When Inspirt AI was founded at Stanford in 2018, most students knew next to nothing about its capabilities. But it got hugely popular in the last couple of years because of the generative AI tools many of us use. "So what's interesting these days is expanding students' understanding of what AI really is," Greene said. "So many of people think it's only the engine that powers generative technologies.
Most younger students are not aware that AI can do analysis, decision-making, forecasting and pattern finding." He said one of the most rewarding elements of the AI summer course is taking what students already known and diversifying their understanding of what AI is, how it's kind of reshaping academic domains, industry and some unexpected disciplines.

"I think it's never been more important for students to actually get  a proper and complete AI education, even if they don't intend to be the ones doing the coding under the hood. AI is revolutionizing every discipline, including in the humanities and social sciences."

During the summer intensive, Python, C++ and a few applications that part of the learning. Greene says some students are "turned off" turned off by this work. "But in our programs, we flip the script. We begin with real-world problems and then back into the engineering principles and coding practices that make possible AI-powered solutions to those problems. That's very much our messaging too, is to start with the problem that you're solving and then work backward."

There is a major component of using AI for social good to this program, a principle that recalls Barstow's mission to provide symmetrical development of mind, body, and character and our efforts to infuse a little a leadership and service learning mindset into our curriculum and extracurricular activities.
"AI can be used for a tremendous amount of good. And a lot of what we're doing is steering students toward applications of the technology that can be pressed into the service of social impact."

Designing Projects for Social Good with Generative AI will be offered at IDEA Space June 15-June 26 (except June 19), 9 a.m.-12:30 p.m. The cost for 31.5 hours of live instruction is $1500. For more information from Scott Daniel, Vice President of Technology, please click here.
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    • Designing Projects for Social Good with Generative AI will be offered at IDEA Space June 15-June 26 (except June 19), 9 a.m.-12:30 p.m.

    • Students learn foundational AI concepts and coding, then develop their own projects leveraging AI for social good.

    • The program is taught by Stanford, MIT and Ivy League praduate students and experts.

    • At the end of the two-week intensive, students present capstone projects

    • Last year's projects included a tool for diagnosing pneumonia and an AI application for identifying habitable exoplanets.

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  • Dan & Cassidy Towriss IDEA Space KC

    12200 State Line Road
    Leawood, KS 66209
    913-766-IDEA (4332)

     

  • Art Hall

    President and Head of School
    816-277-0304
    Email

  • Cassie Banka '05

  • Siobhan McLaughlin Lesley

    Vice President Advancement
    (816) 277-0433
    Email