A real problem, a real person
Teams start with someone specific and a concrete pain — then build the smallest useful thing that helps. A helpful tool, a story, a game — all fair game if a real person benefits.
Utah County · Fall break 2026
Your kid builds something real with AI — and they own every decision
Project Paideia AI Buildathon is a day-and-a-half, Startup Weekend–style event for ages 12+. 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. Visible prototypes Friday morning. 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
Thursday night through Friday, October 15–16. Dinner and community building first, then build. Showcase Friday afternoon — done by 4:00 PM.
Thursday · Oct 15
Dinner + community building
We start with dinner. Meet the room, settle in, form teams around real problems — not skill labels.
Problem sprint + first build
Name who it’s for. Ship first visible progress. Leave knowing Friday’s first task.
Friday · Oct 16
Build, test, improve
Core prototype. Feedback from someone who isn’t their parent. One real improvement. Finish something real enough to show.
Showcase
Friends and family invited. 60-second whole-room intros, then a gallery walk. Curious questions. No scoreboard. Event ends at 4:00 PM.
Confirmed vs. soon
Locked in
Dates: October 15–16, 2026 (Thursday night–Friday, Alpine School District fall break).
Start: dinner at 5:00 PM Thursday.
Showcase: 3:00–4:00 PM Friday — friends and family invited (event ends at 4).
Ages: 12 and up.
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.
Ticket price and scholarship seats.
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 — 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 won’t sit at your own kid’s table — that’s the gift.
For parents
Get on the list before registration opens
Registration and payment will be handled by the event organizers once venue and pricing are set. Join the waitlist now so we can reach you first. Stay for the parent track or drop off and return for the Friday showcase — your choice.
Parents & guardians
I want my kid in the room
- Ages 12+ by October 16, 2026
- You’ll get event details, parent boundary guidance, and registration when it opens
- Stay and learn, or drop off and come back for the showcase — both work
- 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, food, people, 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, food, guests
Host space, meals that start relationships, and curious adults for the gallery walk — not judges.
Partners
Tell us how you want in
Credits, gear, venue, food, 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, food, tech, 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’s a firm line. Parents support regulation and curiosity — questions, not answers. There’s a parent track so you’re 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?
This is a paid, ticketed event with sponsor offsets and scholarship seats planned. Exact price is not public yet — waitlist families hear first when it’s set.
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 payment administration.
What happens when I submit a form?
Your name and email are stored securely, emailed to Jethro, and posted on the Project Paideia Basecamp board so the event team can follow up. Used only for this buildathon. Questions anytime: jethro@hey.com.
October 15–16, 2026 · Thu 5 PM – Fri 4 PM
Ready when your kid is
Three doors in. Pick the one that fits — parent, partner, or volunteer.