Building Your First App
From an idea in your head to a real app on your phone.
What this program is, in the words of the people who run it.
Most kids spend a lot of time inside apps. This program puts them on the other side of the screen. Over ten weeks, students design, prototype, and build a real working app — one that solves a problem they actually care about.
The goal isn't to memorize syntax. It's to learn what it feels like to imagine something, draw it, build it, and put it in front of other people. We use modern AI-assisted tools so the writing of code never gets in the way of the thinking behind it.
- Figma
- Replit
- Cursor
- Claude / ChatGPT (sandboxed)
- Light HTML / CSS / JS
All tools are age-appropriate and used inside closed, instructor-administered environments. Data and accounts are managed by AI Playground — not by individual students.
Each session builds on the last — with intention.
- W 01
What is an app?
We open the hood in plain language — screens, buttons, decisions — and start a class notebook of problems an app might solve.
- W 02
Sketching on paper
Pencils before pixels. Each student designs their app's screens with sketches, not software. The week ideas become drawings.
- W 03
First build
Bringing the first screen to life, with an AI sitting alongside as a coding partner. Quick wins, real understanding.
- W 04
Making it work
Adding logic and data — buttons that do things, lists that remember. The shift from picture to working tool.
- W 05
Test & polish
Five real users try it. Students take notes without defending, then tighten the rough edges in one focused session.
- W 06
Demo Day
A small, dignified showcase for families. Each student presents their app and what it taught them.
Detailed instructor notes, week-by-week materials, and assessment rubrics available to partner schools on request.
A small selection of what students have made.
By the last week, students leave with these.
- A working, shippable app made by the student themselves
- Comfort with the full design → build → test → ship loop
- Foundational fluency with AI-assisted development
- Habits of revision, user feedback, and finishing
Three disciplines, one through-line: making.
Ready to bring Building Your First App to your students?
Tell us about your school. We'll reply within two business days with a tailored proposal — including curriculum samples, a scheduling outline, and any compliance documentation your administration needs.