In-demand technical skills
AI and machine learning literacy, programming, electronics and engineering design, all learned by doing.
Free · Ages 12–17 · North Carolina
Teens building the technology of tomorrow.
Hands-on workshops in coding, AI, electronics and robotics. We're a free workforce development program, brought to teens through North Carolina libraries, makerspaces and youth organizations.
Coding
Artificial intelligence
Electronics
Robotics
Workforce development
Real skills for future careers
In every workshop, teens build something real and understand how it works. They also see how what they made connects to jobs in North Carolina and beyond.
Career-ready skills
Teamwork, problem solving, testing and debugging, and presenting work to others.
Career exposure
Each workshop connects what teens build to real jobs, from machine learning engineer to accessibility designer.
Clear next steps
Teens leave with free tools to keep going at home, plus pointers to school CTE courses, community college programs and other youth tech opportunities.
How it works
We come to your community
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A local partner hosts
A library, makerspace or youth organization provides the space and invites teens.
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We bring the workshop
A professional technology educator leads the session with tested curriculum and hands-on materials.
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Teens build and keep going
Teens leave with a project they made, new skills, and free tools to keep learning.
Workshops
Featured workshop
Teach a Computer to See
Teens train their own image-recognition AI, then try to break it. Along the way they learn how machine learning really works, why biased data leads to biased AI, and how to design a model that solves a real problem for a real user.
- AI / machine learning
- Data quality
- Testing & QA
- User-centered design
- Responsible tech
- Length
- 90 minutes
- Ages
- 12–17
- Experience
- None needed
- Cost
- Free
More workshops on electronics, physical computing and robotics are in development.
Upcoming
First workshops launch in early 2027
We're scheduling our first sessions with partners across North Carolina. Dates and locations will be posted here. To bring a workshop to your community, ask your local library or get in touch.
For partner organizations
Host a free workshop
Libraries, makerspaces, schools and youth programs: offer your teens a high-quality STEM and workforce development program at no cost.
You provide
- A room with tables and power
- Laptops or Chromebooks with webcams (1 per pair of teens)
- Wi-Fi and a projector or large screen
- A staff member in the room
- Promotion to teens and families
We provide
- A professional technology educator
- Tested, hands-on curriculum
- Materials, handouts and kits
- A device check before the event
- Participant surveys and a short summary for your reports
For families
Common questions
How much does it cost?
Nothing. Workshops are free for participants.
Does my teen need coding experience?
No. Workshops are designed for beginners, with extra challenges for teens who already have experience.
What should they bring?
Just curiosity. The host provides devices, and we bring everything else.
How is this workforce development?
Teens practice skills employers look for, like AI literacy, problem solving, testing and teamwork. They also learn about real careers that use these skills, and leave with clear next steps for continued learning.
Is it safe? What about privacy?
A staff member from the host organization is present for every workshop. The AI tools we use run in the web browser, need no accounts, and by default keep training images on the device. All work is cleared at the end of each session, and photos are only taken with a signed release.
How do we sign up?
Registration is handled by each host organization. Upcoming workshops will be listed on this page, with a link to register.
For educators
Teach with us
Are you an educator, librarian or youth program leader who wants to bring hands-on tech and workforce development to teens? We'd love to collaborate.
Get in touch →About
Who we are
NC Youth Tech Collective was founded by Mike Renne, a North Carolina professional technology educator, with initial funding from the NC Idea Challenge. The goal is to give every teen, regardless of zip code or budget, the chance to build with technology and see a future for themselves in it.
Let's bring tech workshops to your teens
Want to host a workshop, support the program, or ask a question? We'd love to hear from you at mike@ncyouthtechcollective.org.