Frequently Asked Questions

General Info

Do you provide scholarships?

We provide scholarships for the Summer Camp Program. However, for the summer of 2021, this has already passed. Come back later this year to see how to apply for Summer Camp in 2022. At this time we do not offer scholarships for our After School Program.



Is online learning effective for learning AI?

Yes, our past experience and data proved that our students can excel in coding and AI. We have taught thousands of students online as well as offline. Given our experience and constantly evolving curriculum we know that online learning is highly effective. Beyond our unique learning approach we also use cutting edge technologies to bring learning to life. We have both a Learning Center and an interactive coding environment. Our Learning Center is equipped to help students learn AI. All learning material such as Homework and Lessons are hosted there. We also have the Coding Center which is where the magic of building AI takes place. Through the Coding Center we are able to provide a powerful cloud computer to our students. In this environment, we can view what students are typing in real-time and allows us to provide individualized instruction.



Why are you doing this?

We experienced first-hand that our traditional education did not prepare us for the real world. Even though we had advanced degrees from top universities, the job market was tough us as we did not what jobs were available, what to learn, or who could help. In addition, college tuition has skyrocketed. Student debt in the U.S. has exceeded 1.6 trillion dollars with the average student having $35,000 of debt by the time they graduate. To make matters worse 50% of graduating students are unable to find a job with their degree. This must change. We founded this camp to help students prepare for the real world. We hope that AI Camp can serve as early intervention in a student's life so that they are able to design the lives they want to have. Our students not only learn AI but how also how to pick a major, how to learn, network, and eventually become leaders in their chosen fields.



What is the Intro to AI Class and how long does is it take?

When you apply to either the Summer or After School Program we invite you to the intro to AI Class. The Intro to AI Class is a complimentary sneak peak into our core programs (i.e. Summer and After School Programs). During this class, we teach participants about AI and what they will learn should they decide to continue. This class runs about 50 minutes.



What are the class sizes?

Class sizes vary from as small as six per instructor and depend on the program. For a specific program please refer to the respective FAQ section.



About AI Camp

AI Camp was founded to revolutionize AI education around the world. In doing so, we have helped thousands of students prepare for university, industry, and oftentimes both. Our superpower is our unique teaching approach. It is a fusion of the world's best instructors (Stanford, CMU, etc.) and small class sizes that makes AI education intuitive, accessible, and successful. We don't teach from A to Z. Instead, our students learn by doing. They build impressive AI products, develop in-demand skills, and forge powerful connections with our mentors and advisors. AI camp is in the business of providing opportunity. We are unified by the maxim that we are only as great as the doors we open.



Summer Camp

Is learning and building AI possible in just 3 weeks?

Absolutely! It is important, however, to realize that we are not teaching the entirety of AI in three weeks, but rather are showing students how to learn AI through lessons, hands-on experience, and engaging with our guest speakers. At the end of the program, students can take their newly gained skills and apply them to other hobbies and interests. Our approach gives them invaluable exposure to how products are made in industry which stays consistent despite rapid development in the space. Students do not need any coding experience to start because we teach Python fundamentals first to ensure proficient performance before tackling data systems and machine learning. We also teach basic command line knowledge to allow for efficient file management and usage of cloud machines.



What is the schedule like?

The Summer Camp Program is held over three weeks, 5 days a week, and approximately 5-6 hours a day (i.e. 9am to 3am PST).



What is the class size for the Summer Program?

We maintain a class size between 4 - 6 students per instructor for both our Summer and After School programs. We have experimented with various class sizes and found this is be the optimal student to instructor ratio for collaboration and personalized learning to take place.



What do we learn in the Summer Camp Program?

The information below can also be found here. Weeks 1-3: Building and AI Product As well as learning the following, students will also be working in teams of six to build an AI Product. Week 1: Programming, command lines, and statistics During the first week, students learn basics in Python, such as how to write a for loop and a function. We will also give an overview of how to make an AI product so that students have a mental road map of the entire camp right from the start. We will also introduce statistics fundamentals so that our students can understand more advanced machine learning concepts (such as entropy). Week 2: Machine Learning and Data With a basic foundation establishes, we will start to introduce machine learning concepts, such as the loss function and how to split your data. Depending on the project, we may also teach data exploration, visualization and, manipulation. Week 3: Deep Learning Fundamentals Deep learning is a trendy subject in machine learning, and the recent progress at deep learning has shown many promising applications. We will introduce the concept of a neural network, convolutional networks, and other important concepts so that they can gain a deeper understanding.



Do you provide scholarships for the Summer Program?

For each year we run a scholarship program months prior to the summer. For the summer of 2021 that program has passed. We will begin accepting applications for summer scholarship program for 2022 in the Fall of 2021. Note: We provide scholarships for qualified students. This is both a merit and need based scholarship. Roughly, 20% of our students attend based on scholarships.



What programming languages will students learn?

We teach the essentials for building an AI product so that students can start tinkering as fast as possible. To accomplish this we use Python in combination with Pandas for data manipulation. We also cover data engineering systems like data lakes and pipelines. In deep learning, we give an overview of simple feed-forward networks, convolutional networks, network training, and computer vision. Our curriculum is also tailored to the project that students choose to pursue. For a more detailed description of the curriculum please check out our curriculum page: www.ai-camp.org/curriculum



What is the cancellation policy for summer camp?

Hiring and finding the great instructors with the requisite skills and AI knowledge requires AI Camp to also commit employnt to those instructors for the summer. Once you enroll and have paid the tuition for summer camp you are making a commitment to attend. If you decide to cancel, there will be no refund. No exceptions. We may be able to transfer the student to a different program. Please contact hello@ai-camp.org to see how we can do this.



AI Immersion Program

What programming languages will students learn?

We teach the essentials for building an AI product so that students can start tinkering as fast as possible. To accomplish this we use Python in combination with Pandas for data manipulation. We also cover data engineering systems like data lakes and pipelines. In deep learning, we give an overview of simple feed-forward networks, convolutional networks, network training, and computer vision. Our curriculum is also tailored to the project that students choose to pursue. For a more detailed description of the curriculum please check out our curriculum page: www.ai-camp.org/curriculum



What is the difference between the Summer and After School Program?

Both programs teach students the same materials, but the after-school program provides more opportunities to reinforce learning and retention. If you are looking for an intensive, head-first introduction to AI then the summer program is a great choice. If you are looking for a solid understanding of the material, we highly recommend joining the After School Program. More information regarding each program can be found in this FAQ.



What is the schedule of the After School Program?

The After School Program runs approximately seven to nine months depending on the pace of the class as we seek to ensure student understanding and proper skill application. Students meet online with their instructor once a week. In between the weekly classes, students work on assignments and on the team project. Students can reach out to one another or the instructor for additional help. Each month we start a new cohort of students. On Orientation day (first Saturday of the month) students will meet with the instructor to decide on a day and time that works for everyone.



What are the class sizes for the After School Program?

We maintain a class size between 4 - 6 students per instructor for both our Summer and After School programs. We have experimented with various class sizes and found this is be the optimal student to instructor ratio for collaboration and personalized learning to take place.



What do we learn in the After School Program?

While covering the same topics as in the summer the After School Program provides additional assignments and opportunities to practice. This allows for greater retention and mastery of the material. This is due to the classes being more spread out. Building an AI Product: As well as learning the following, students work in teams of six to build an AI Product. Programming, command lines, and statistics: During the first week, students learn basics in Python, such as how to write a for loop and a function. We will also give an overview of how to make an AI product so that students have a mental road map of the entire camp right from the start. We will also introduce statistics fundamentals so that our students can understand more advanced machine learning concepts (such as entropy). Machine Learning and Data: With a basic foundation establishes, we will start to introduce machine learning concepts, such as the loss function and how to split your data. Depending on the project, we may also teach data exploration, visualization and, manipulation. Deep Learning Fundamentals: Deep learning is a trending subject in machine learning, and the recent progress at deep learning has shown many promising applications. We will introduce the concept of a neural network, convolutional networks, and other important concepts so that they can gain a deeper understanding.



Getting Started with AI

What is the difference between the Getting Started with AI and other programs offered?

The Getting Started with AI is a concise program designed to introduce AI Concepts without any prior experience of any kind. It is a very beginner friendly program. While our Summer and After School Programs require students to learn how to code, program, and work together to build an AI Product, this program does not. This program consists of four classes that run about one and a half hour each. This course is ideal for those who want to get a taste of AI before pursuing a more rigorous curriculum such as the Summer Camp or After School Programs.



What will I learn in the Getting Started with AI?

Our instructors will cover the following via zoom: Lesson 1: Introduction to AI What is AI and how it evolved to become what it is today. You will also learn about the three major categories of Machine Learning and common applications of AI. Lesson 2: Deep Learning Neural networks and how they work, convolutional neural networks, how to train a neural network, and common applications of Deep Learning. Lesson 3: Careers in AI and Tech How AI products are made in industry, exploring careers in AI and tech, and most importantly, how to determine your future by using data. Lesson 4: Python and Face Detection Learn basics of Python Programming while coding up a program to detect faces and learning how the cascade algorithm detects face features.