VIBE After School
Venture · Imagine · Build · Express
A mentor and make after-school program for K–12 students. Working professionals show up. Kids build real things. AI becomes a creative tool, not a shortcut.
A one-page guide
for starting a pilot
this semester
V
Venture
Real exposure to people doing the work. A mentor in the room, a visit to a real site.
I
Imagine
Protected time and space for curiosity. The tools reward strange questions.
B
Build
Each student ships something small every quarter, with AI as a collaborator.
E
Express
Make sure the work reflects who they are, not a template handed down.

How to start. Seven steps.

  1. Identify a faculty champion. One teacher or counselor willing to give an hour a week for a semester. The pilot lives or dies on this person.
  2. Recruit three to five mentors. Working professionals in different fields. Engineer, nurse, designer, tradesperson, small-business owner. Local is better than famous.
  3. Pick a small first cohort. Eight to fifteen students, ideally grades five through eight. Mixed interests. Start small and let it earn growth.
  4. Schedule a twelve-week arc. One forty-five minute session a week. Reserve a room. Protect the time from other duties.
  5. Set a build goal from week one. Every student ships one small working thing by week twelve. A website, app, device, zine, short film, or service.
  6. Host a showcase. Invite families, administrators, local press, and the next cohort’s students. Public work makes the program real.
  7. Capture the lessons. A one-page review. Keep what worked. Revise what didn’t. Hand it to the next teacher who runs it.

A pilot at a glance

Champion
1 teacher. About one hour a week.
Mentors
3 to 5 professionals. One visit each, 45 minutes.
Students
8 to 15. Grades 5 to 8 recommended.
Tools
AI access (free tiers are fine), internet, one laptop per pair.
Cost
Near zero. The resource is mostly time.
Duration
12 weeks, one session weekly.
Outcome
Each student ships one working project and meets at least three working professionals.

The first twelve weeks

Weeks 1–2
Introductions. Tool orientation. Ground rules for AI use.
Weeks 3–5
Mentor visits. Shadow sessions. A field trip if possible.
Weeks 6–8
Students pick and scope what they will build.
Weeks 9–11
Build. Iterate. Get feedback from a mentor and a peer.
Week 12
Showcase. Families, administrators, and press invited. Each student presents for three minutes.

Sample mentor invitation

Copy, adapt, send Hi [Name], a small group of students at [School] is starting a new program called VIBE that pairs them with working professionals for one afternoon. Would you be willing to spend forty-five minutes with them in the next month, sharing what you actually do day to day? No prep required. Your example is the point. Happy to work around your schedule.
CC BY-SA 4.0VIBE After School is an open framework from Juno Maps. Free to use, adapt, and share with attribution.
An independent initiative of Juno Maps. Not affiliated with any similarly named educational institution or organization.
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