Coding at 5: AI education takes off in Silicon Valley
In Silicon Valley, a trend is emerging where parents are enrolling their children as young as five in summer camps focused on artificial intelligence (AI). These camps offer courses like "Advanced AI Robot Design & AR Coding," highlighting the growing interest in early AI education. Ann Sasi, a tech camp teacher for Integem—a learning platorm offering dedicated AI and AR education— has observed that despite challenges with reading and typing, these young learners can grasp the concept of AI.
Coding: A new language for young learners
Sasi introduces coding to these children as a new language, explaining that just like humans, computers also have their own languages. Eliza Du, CEO of Integem, has noticed an increased interest in AI-specific programming from parents who previously chose coding camps. "The tech industry understands the value of AI," she told The San Franciso Standard. "Every year it's increasing."
Setting realistic expectations for AI learning
Some parents are so enthusiastic about introducing their kids to AI that they try to enroll toddlers in advanced courses. Du revealed that Integem has studied 'Common Core' education standards to make sure its programming was appropriate for those as young as five. However, she also stressed the importance of setting realistic expectations for what kids can learn in a couple of weeks long education camp.
AI and play: A balanced approach to learning
In one of Integem's classrooms in Cupertino, children aged five to eight were divided into groups to learn how to build robots with Lego blocks or train AI models using objects and laptop screens. One student, 8-year-old Micaela, expressed her enjoyment of the camp activities saying, "It's fun playing my own games." Despite the intense focus on AI and coding, the camps also allow time for traditional childhood activities like drawing and playing outside.
Integem's journey and future of computer science education
Integem, founded by Du in 2015, launched its camp division after children's clothing company Gymboree asked it to develop educational content. This year, around 30,000 young learners will use Integem's educational programming. Winfred Lin, a 17-year-old assistant at the camp and a former participant, believes that learning computer science at a young age is beneficial. "In the future, it's not just going to be software engineers doing computer science. It's everybody," Winfred said.
