The startup

AI First Club: think, not just code

Most kids already use AI. Very few have been shown how to use it well: to learn, to question what it says, and to make real things. AI First Club teaches exactly that, in small live groups.

Enrol early, get the full program

AI Studio for ages 10–14 — eight weekly live lessons. See the full programme and reserve a place.

Enrol early at ai-first-club.com →

Why I’m building it

I’ve learned AI the long way: corporate training at BCG, Anthropic, OpenAI and Gemini materials, and more workshops than I can count. What worries me is the gap AI could widen. Kids who already do well will do even better, while kids who find schoolwork heavy risk falling further behind. That’s why I built AI First Club: a calm, practical start, with the full picture and none of the hype. Parents feel the FOMO but don’t know where to begin, and schools make AI compulsory without knowing where it fits. I’m tech-savvy, not an engineer, with years of teaching and training design behind me. This is my life’s cause.

What kids learn

AI for learning

using AI as a study partner, not a cheat sheet

Critical AI

checking outputs, spotting bias, staying safe

Real projects

a poster, a character, a cartoon, a song, a website

Ready to start?

Enrol early in AI Studio (ages 10–14)
Download the overview (PDF)

Parent FAQ

›What is AI First Club?
AI First Club is an AI-literacy programme for kids and teens, co-founded by Maria Nightingale. Instead of coding, it teaches children to think with AI: learning with it, questioning it, and using it for real projects.
›What age is AI Studio for?
Ages 10–14. Students should be comfortable reading, typing and using a laptop on their own. No coding needed.
›How does it work?
Eight weekly live lessons of 45 minutes, online, with short practice tasks between sessions and a supervised group chat for homework.
›Is it safe for my child to use AI?
Responsible use is part of every lesson: what AI can and can’t do, privacy, checking answers, and when not to use it.
›Which AI tools will my child use?
The best tools available at the time. For the current cohort, that means leading assistants such as Claude, ChatGPT and Gemini, plus an image or video tool such as ChatGPT Images or Higgsfield. AI changes fast, so the toolset can change from cohort to cohort; we confirm the list before each one starts. A parent may need to help set up accounts before the first lesson, and we send step-by-step instructions. All children need is a laptop.
›Is it a coding course?
No. Coding courses teach how to build AI. AI First Club teaches how to use and think with it, which is what most kids need first.
›How much does it cost?
See ai-first-club.com for current prices, programme details and the request forms.