SureStart

🎊 Happy 4th Anniversary SureStart! What an incredible journey it has been so far and we couldn’t have done it without all our amazing team members, partners, students and supporters. This year has been nothing short of extraordinary, filled with milestones, partnerships, and student achievements that inspire us every day. Here’s a look back at our journey: 💻 Transformative Programs 🔹 At XCL World Academy, Grade 6 students explored AI fundamentals, building chatbots, creating AI-driven art, and discussing ethical AI while preparing to develop their own apps. 🔹 The #MIT FutureMakers Create-a-thon featured impactful innovations like Certified Squirrels’ Findable app, EcoGuardians’ GreenGuard app, and KineX’s AI-powered physical therapy tool, addressing challenges in accessibility, sustainability, and health. 🔹 Our Colby College Trailblazers spent 10 weeks on the Colby campus diving into the world of AI & ML, making career connections, and learning about responsible design principles, fostering the next wave of ethical AI innovators. 🔹 SureStart was thrilled to collaborate with #CMU on the PAS4AI Summer Program Fellowship which provided autistic community college students with the opportunity to learn about AI and build hands-on machine learning skills, all while supported by near peer technical mentors! 🎤 Unforgettable Events 🔸 At the ASU+GSV Summit, students shared Gen Z perspectives on AI and showcased groundbreaking projects on stage, earning applause for their creativity and insight. 🔸 SureStart’s CEO Taniya Mishra, PhD took the stage at SXSW EDU to emcee the Launch Startup Competition — so inspiring to see the innovative ideas of the next generation of young tech entrepreneurs! 🔸 During #UNGA Week, Dr. Taniya Mishra joined global leaders to explore AI’s transformative role in education at the HUMAN Education Summit. 🔸 Dr. Mishra represented SureStart on global stages, from The Villars Institute GLC in Switzerland to discussions on AI literacy and leadership that inspire educators worldwide. 🏆 Student & Alumni Success 🔹 Alumni team Code Blue AI won the Big Ideas Contest at UC Berkeley, securing $20K to advance their AI-powered stroke detection tool, now in collaboration with #UCSF and #Microsoft. None of this would have been possible without our incredible students, mentors, and collaborators. Together, we’re building a brighter, more inclusive future in AI. Here's to another year of growth and innovation! 💡✨ #AI #Innovation #Education #DiversityInTech #FutureOfEducation

🌟 Calling all changemakers! Applications for the Bezos Scholars Program from the Bezos Family Foundation are NOW OPEN! 🚀 This life-changing, yearlong leadership program is your chance to turn your passion into action and make a lasting impact. 🔑 Why YOU should apply: ✨ Travel to the Aspen Ideas Festival—an all-expenses-paid experience to connect with world leaders and visionaries. 🎓 Work alongside an amazing Educator Scholar YOU nominate to guide your journey. 💡 Get expert mentorship, leadership training, free college advising, and $1,000 to launch a Community Change Project in your hometown. 🤝 Join a community of bold, brilliant changemakers committed to shaping the future. Who this is for: If you’re a curious, driven high school junior with a passion for making a difference, this is YOUR moment. ⏳ Deadline: January 21, 2025. Don’t wait! The Bezos Scholars Program has changed so many lives, and yours could be next! 💫 https://lnkd.in/gHn_i9fW #Leadership #YouthEmpowerment #Changemakers #BezosScholars #SureStart #AIeducation #Scholarship

Want to Play with AI? 🎉 We’re halfway through the SureStart program at XCL World Academy, and our students have been loving some seriously fun activities that bring AI to life 💫 These are easy, playful ways to dip your toes into generative AI—and they’re not just for kids! This is one of our favorites 👇🏼 🎨 Say What You See 🧠✍️ This game challenges you to describe AI-generated images in 120 characters or less. Your description is then fed back into the generator to see if it can recreate the original image. Nail it, and you pass the round! It’s an awesome way to explore how AI interprets human input. Have you tried it yet? If you have, how well did you do? If not, grab your friends and give them a shot! Let’s see who can get the highest scores 🏆 🤖 Got other fun AI activity recommendations? Drop them in the comments! Let’s build the ultimate list of creative ways to explore AI together. 🚀 https://lnkd.in/d9sNkbCN #AIforEveryone #LearningThroughPlay #SureStart #AIeducation #FutureofAI #XCLWorldAcademy #GenerativeAI #AIethics #STEMeducation

WOW 👀 We can’t believe we are halfway through our SureStart program at XCL World Academy! Students have been diving into the world of AI with curiosity, creativity, and hands-on experiences. In the past 7 weeks these grade 6 students have explored the fundamentals of AI and generative AI, from training algorithms 🤖 and building chatbots 💬 to creating digital art 🎨 and even composing music with AI tools 🎶. Our Program Lead Instructor Leonardo Neves (he/him/his) has shown students how technology can unlock creativity in unexpected ways, through engaging activities like “training” a virtual trash bot 🗑️, generating AI-driven illustrations 🖼️, and writing song lyrics with the help of AI 📝 . We’ve also delved into ethical AI 🤝, encouraging students to consider how AI impacts society and the importance of responsible design. Thought-provoking discussions, and inspiring guest speakers 🗣️ have helped students reflect on how their future roles as creators will shape the tech landscape. 👨🏻💻We are about to launch into the next phase of the program where students will be working with their mentors to build their own apps! Stay tuned for more updates 💫 #SureStart #AIeducation #FutureofAI #XCLWorldAcademy #GenerativeAI #AIethics #STEMeducation

🗳️✨ Your Voice, Your Vote, Our Shared Future! ✨🗳️ Today is more than just another Tuesday; it’s a day to influence the future! At SureStart, we believe in the power of young technologists to lead the change we want to see. Whether through coding, creating, or casting a vote, every action counts. 🚀 Have you voted yet today? If so, drop a ✅ in the comments! If you haven’t voted yet - it’s not too late! Head to the polls, make your voice heard, and stand for a future built on diversity, ethics, and innovation. 🤖💡 Let’s continue to build a world where tech serves everyone. It all starts with making your voice count. If you’re eligible, get out and vote! Your future self (and all of us at SureStart) will be grateful. 💙 #VoteToday #YoungVoices #TechForGood #FutureLeaders #SureStartVotes #ElectionDay2024

🌟 Last week, we had the pleasure of welcoming Cecilia Dones to speak with our XCL World Academy students! Ceci’s talk, "Code with Care: Understanding AI for a Better Future," provided both inspiration and critical insight into the power—and responsibility—behind AI. As an expert in data and technology, Ceci gave students an eye-opening look at the technology shaping our world. Through her own career journey—from her studies at Columbia University and #MIT to her work advising major companies—Ceci reminded our students that a career in tech is within reach for everyone with curiosity, persistence, and a commitment to ethical practice. Key takeaways from Ceci’s talk included: 🔹 Why AI is Essential Beyond making tasks faster and improving decision-making, AI holds potential for solving global challenges. But with that power comes responsibility! 🔹 AI Ethics—The 4 Keys Ceci stressed the importance of fairness, privacy, safety, and transparency in AI. Ethics are more than guidelines—they’re essential for building trust and ensuring that AI benefits everyone. 🔹 The Role of Curiosity and Storytelling Ceci’s passion for curiosity and storytelling resonated with our students. Her work shows how curiosity drives innovation and helps us all understand complex technologies in ways that feel personal and accessible. Ceci left us with this powerful reminder: Everyone’s Voice Matters in AI. It’s crucial to keep asking questions, staying curious, and shaping AI as an ethical force for good. Thank you, Ceci, for inspiring the next generation of tech leaders to think critically, act ethically, and always stay curious. 🙌✨ #AILiteracy #FutureOfLearning #AIandEthics #EdTech #STEM

🚀 What an incredible session we had at XCL World Academy last week with Safinah Ali, PhD student at MIT Media Lab’s Personal Robots Group! Safinah’s talk, "AI for Creative Learning," inspired our students to think beyond traditional uses of AI and dive into how AI can enhance human creativity, especially for young minds. Safinah’s work focuses on designing robots that help children unleash their creativity through collaborative storytelling and creative expression. She showed us how AI can be more than just a tool for efficiency—it can become a co-creator, sparking curiosity and encouraging students to explore new ideas. One of the most exciting aspects of her research is how children start to emulate the robot’s creative behaviors, pushing their own creative boundaries. As Safinah highlighted, her mission is to shift the conversation from “What can AI create?” to “What can children create when empowered by AI?” This aligns perfectly with SureStart’s belief that AI literacy isn’t just about understanding technology; it’s about harnessing it to amplify our innate creativity. Thank you, Safinah, for showing our students the incredible potential of using AI as a creative partner. We’re excited to see how they take these lessons forward as the next generation of innovators and creators. 🙌🏽 #AILiteracy #CreativeLearning #AIandEducation #FutureOfLearning #Innovation #AILeadership

📢 Big news for California #education! 📢 A new groundbreaking law will integrate #AILiteracy into the K-12 curriculum, updating math, science, and history-social science courses to ensure students are equipped with the skills and training they need to be safe, ethical, and successful users of AI as #generativeAI becomes more mainstream. 🌐💡https://lnkd.in/eQYd25uG At SureStart, we’ve championed this vision for years. 🌟 We believe that AI fluency is the foundation for tomorrow's leaders and table stakes for new graduates entering the workforce. From textbooks to teaching materials, #AILiteracy is now essential in preparing students for a world transformed by fast-evolving technology. We’re eager to support this integration🤝 We want to collaborate with like-minded K-12 and higher ed institutions to ensure students understand: 🤖 How AI works ⚙️ Core concepts and real-world applications 🌍 Ethical issues and limitations Interested in working together? Let’s connect—and make sure we're all ready to use #AI responsibly! #GenAI #STEM #STEAM #AIeducation #edtech #edtechnews #news #articles #ainews #aitrends #students

Thrilled to support educators in this important shift! Send us a message if you're interested in exploring how #AI can enhance learning and transform the classroom experience! #GenAI #GenerativeAI

Are you or someone you know in the process of applying for #technicalinternships? Landing an internship is a journey that requires careful planning and preparation, but SureStart is here to guide you every step of the way! For the 2024-2025 recruiting cycle, #techcompanies are expected to wrap up their hiring processes as early as January to March, so it’s essential to be proactive! Even though summer 2025 may seem far away, many companies finalize their #internship hires months in advance. That means the time to research, prepare, and apply for summer internships is now! Getting a head start is key to securing the right opportunity:  🔹Take time to explore your options 🔹Build a strong application  🔹And, ensure you're ready when the openings come! SureStart is here to help you navigate the process and set you up for success. Ready to begin? Drop a comment or send us a message for your copy of our Getting Started Guide to learn more about how to kick off your internship search and take control of your future. Also, join our Discord for more updates and #opportunities and resources! https://lnkd.in/dqW__wGH #internships #2025internships #interns #techcareers #careerdevelopment #careerprep #technicalinternships #tech #earlycareeradvice #earlycareer