AI Camps: How to Immerse Yourself in The Vast World of AI
AI is a rising field of innovation, and is becoming something that adults need to have knowledge about. As the field of AI is opening up to a large realm of subjects and careers, students in all grade levels of all different interests are becoming relevant in the field of AI education. Because of this, many organizations and universities have become a part of the new global phenomena that is AI camps and programs for young people. Here, we will talk about what the benefits of AI camps are, who can participate in AI camps, and some great AI camp opportunities for high schoolers.
What are the benefits of AI camps?
AI camps offer many benefits to students at all levels of AI knowledge, be it students who are very well versed in AI topics or students who have zero prior knowledge. For example, InspiritAI offers programs that have opportunities for all levels of AI knowledge. Some of these benefits include:
You get to work on projects that enhance your AI understanding
No matter what AI camp you attend, especially camps like InspiritAI, the camp will have a project-based learning aspect in their agenda. If you take a specialized AI camp that deals in a cross-section between AI and other subjects, like an AI and health or AI and business program, then there will be some special projects that allow you to work with using AI to further advancements in those other categories. In InspiritAI, you get to take on a project of your choosing and work with a group on using Python to create special projects, like aiding distracted drivers or detecting pneumonia in chest x-rays.
College admissions/applications
This is a big one for many high school students right now! Participating in AI camps can have a big influence on your college applications. Depending on the prestigiousness of the program, the AI camps that you have done will have different weights on your application. Camps like those hosted by reputable universities such as MIT, Stanford, or Harvard will inevitably have more weight in your application, but this does not mean that you should discount any other camps that you take. Just taking a camp shows that you have gained a lot of knowledge about AI and that you are dedicated towards the subject of AI.
Working with people like you
Sometimes, you may struggle to find others who share the same interest in AI as you, be it having a career in AI, or just learning about how AI can be used in specific fields. This can be solved very easily by attending an AI camp. At any AI camp, you will find many like-minded people who share the same interests as you. They may even tell you about their own AI endeavors and inspire you to take on an AI project of your own. Even if you don’t pick up projects or anything like that, it is still great to have contacts that you can stay in touch with about your AI interests, and you could even reach out to work with these contacts if you ever get a great project idea that you cannot execute alone.
Working with distinguished professors and mentors
Many important institutions are realizing the importance of educating today’s youth about the wonder of AI and how it can be used in many fields. Because of this, like I mentioned before, any amazing universities will also see the benefit in hosting AI camps of their own. If you take the opportunity to participate in one of these camps, you will get the special experience of getting to work with mentors from these universities, be it students or professors. For example, in Inspirit AI, you get the opportunity to work with students and alumni from the country’s best universities, and get mentorship throughout the camp. This opportunity is not one you should take lightly, and AI camps provide a way for any young person to get this chance.
Who can participate in AI camps?
The answer is: everyone! There are so many programs out there for students in elementary, middle, and high school, and even some education camps for college students. No matter what grade level you are, there is an AI camp out there for you to gain knowledge about the basics and specifics of AI. In particular, Inspirit AI has programs for adolescents from grades 2-8 which deal with the basics of coding, and for higher grade levels, more advanced coding, AI algorithms, and app development. Inspirit is better known for their high school programs, however, which all high-schoolers across the globe can apply for and attend.
What are some great AI camp opportunities for high-schoolers?
There are various different opportunities for high-schoolers to take AI camps. Here are some places that you can find the right AI camp for you:
Make sure that you check out this great resource on our very own Inspirit blog to learn about some super helpful AI bootcamps that are available for high school students.
If you live in a university town or live nearby a university, chances are they will host some kind of AI camp for high school students, considering the rising importance of AI in society. If so, you can look into these camps and make inquiries about what it takes to get into the camps, how to apply, and more. If you don’t live near a university, you can research online about online programs or nearby non-university affiliated programs that interest you. To kickstart your search, check out the InspiritAI Blog for other blogs that list AI camp opportunities for high school students!
Conclusion
In conclusion, as AI is on the rise in our society and it is becoming more and more clear that education about how AI works and the implications/uses of AI, the amount of AI camp opportunities is on the rise as well. If you have any level of interest in AI, there are a variety of benefits in participating in an AI camp.
If you want to check out InspiritAI’s great AI Scholars camp and apply for their Summer 2024 session, check out InspiritAI’s website here! You will get to work on a specialized AI for Social Good project and work under the mentorship of very knowledgeable students and alumni of universities like MIT, Stanford, and more. I highly recommend that you check out InspiritAI’s AI Scholars program if you are interested in an AI camp!
About Inspirit AI
AI Scholars Live Online is a 10 session (25-hour) program that exposes high school students to fundamental AI concepts and guides them to build a socially impactful project. Taught by our team of graduate students from Stanford, MIT, and more, students receive a personalized learning experience in small groups with a student-teacher ratio of 5:1.