A real problem, a real person
Teams start with someone specific and a concrete pain. Then they build the smallest useful thing that helps. A helpful tool, a story, or a game are all fair game if a real person benefits.
Utah County · Fall break 2026
Your kid builds something real with AI. They own every decision.
Project Paideia AI Buildathon is a pair of free, standalone four-hour events for high-school-age young people. Choose Thursday, October 15 or Friday, October 16. Kids pick a real problem they care about, use AI as a thinking partner, and show what they made. Not a coding class. Not a contest. Ownership is the product.
What kids walk away with
Cognitive equity, not cognitive debt
Most kids meet AI as a shortcut: ask it, copy the answer, skip the thinking. That builds debt. The model does the reasoning and the kid stops developing judgment. We’re building the opposite: access to a serious thinking partner so more kids can invent, not just finish homework faster.
Build in sprints
Short teaching bursts, then long stretches of making. Every team has time to turn an idea into something they can show. If stuck, shrink the scope. Every team shows something.
A story they can tell
Problem → who it helps → demo → where AI helped → what they decided → what’s next. Participation trophies don’t build confidence. Building something real does.
Run of show
Two standalone four-hour buildathons. Choose Thursday, October 15 or Friday, October 16. Each event gives kids a complete chance to meet, make, and share.
Thursday · Oct 15
Meet, choose, and make
Meet the room, form teams around real problems, and build a first version with focused support.
Share what you made
Teams explain the problem, their choices, and what comes next. No scoreboard.
Friday · Oct 16
A fresh room, a complete build
Choose the day that works for your family. Friday stands on its own, with the same chance to solve, make, and explain.
Share what you made
Teams explain the problem, their choices, and what comes next. Friends and family are invited to be curious, not to rank the work.
Confirmed vs. soon
Locked in
Dates: Thursday, October 15 or Friday, October 16, 2026 (Alpine School District fall break).
Format: two standalone four-hour buildathons. Choose the day that works for your family.
Ages: targeting high-school-age participants; final range coming soon.
Scale: planning for 40-100 kids.
Laptop: bring your own (loaners as we can secure them).
Coming soon
Exact venue in Utah County / Provo area and each event's start time.
Free registration and final capacity.
Full registration with consent language.
Confirmed AI tool list for the room.
Parent track
Stay and learn on the parent track, or drop off and come back for the showcase at the event you choose. Both are fine. Supervising adults stay with the kids either way. If you stay: coach without steamrolling, healthy AI habits at home, and how to witness the showcase well. You will not sit at your own kid’s table. That is the gift.
For parents
Get on the list before registration opens
Both sessions are free. Registration will open once the venue and session times are set. Join the waitlist now so we can reach you first. Stay for the parent track or drop off and return for the showcase at the event you choose. Your choice.
Parents & guardians
I want my kid in the room
- Targeting high-school-age participants; final age range coming soon
- You’ll get event details, parent boundary guidance, and registration when it opens
- Choose Thursday or Friday when registration opens
- Stay and learn, or drop off and come back for the showcase at your event
- Optional note: kid’s name, interests, questions
For sponsors & partners
Fund the conditions. Don’t direct the kids.
Sponsors set the table: credits, laptops, venue, Wi-Fi, people, and an audience. You don’t judge projects or co-opt the build. That’s what makes the story worth attaching your name to.
AI credits
Token or education access so no team hits a cost meter mid-build. Founding partner recognition throughout the event.
Laptop loans
Hardware shouldn’t decide who participates. Short-term loan pool for kids without a machine.
Venue, tech, guests
Host space, stable Wi-Fi, and curious adults for the gallery walk. They are not judges.
Partners
Tell us how you want in
Credits, gear, venue, Wi-Fi, volunteers from your team, or showcase guests. We’ll follow up personally.
For volunteers
Two adult roles. Know which you are.
The event fails quietly when adults blur into the kids’ work. We need clear hands: people who protect the room, and people who protect the structure.
Supervising adult
One per 4-5 kids. Watch for hunger, fatigue, frustration, safety. You don’t teach, code, or choose the idea. You keep the room healthy.
Facilitator / mentor
Teach in 5-10 minute bursts, keep time boxes visible, help teams shrink scope. Model briefly, then hand the keyboard back.
Ops help
Check-in, tech, transitions, and parent-track support. The invisible work that lets kids stay in flow.
Volunteers
I can help run it
Questions
Straight answers
Does my kid need to know how to code?
No. We group by real problems and interests, not skill labels. AI is a collaborator. The work is judgment, problem framing, and shipping something useful.
Can parents help at the table?
Not with their own kid’s project. That is a firm line. Parents support regulation and curiosity: questions, not answers. There is a parent track so you are not stuck on the sidelines with nothing to do.
Is there a winner?
No. The showcase is a celebration of learning, not a competition. Every team gets a 60-second intro and a gallery walk.
What about cost?
Both four-hour sessions are free. OpenAI is the headline sponsor, and additional partners help cover the venue, tools, devices, and event costs.
Where is it?
Utah County, with Provo-area spaces under review. We’ll name the venue when the booking is real.
Who’s behind this?
Project Paideia is a subgroup of EXIT Group. Event design and facilitation led by Jethro Jones, EdD (Optimization Doc). EXIT handles local logistics, registration, and event administration.
What happens when I submit a form?
Details you submit, such as your name, email, kid’s age, organization, and note, are stored securely. They may be shared with the Project Paideia event team through Basecamp or email and are used only for this buildathon. Questions anytime: jethro@hey.com.
October 15 and 16, 2026 · Choose Thursday or Friday
Ready when your kid is
Three doors in. Pick the one that fits: parent, partner, or volunteer.