Applied Computer Science

Software and AI

About the Class

Foundations of Software and AI is the first semester of a free, year-long high school computer science course offered at Bletchley Commons. It is designed for students who want to understand how modern software actually works and start building real things with the help of AI tools.
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Each week, students tackle a new concept and immediately apply it by building a small project. By the end of the semester, they have deployed multiple working applications to the internet and have the vocabulary, confidence, and hands-on experience to take on more ambitious builds in semester two.
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The course is designed for high school students, but is open to any student 13 or older, and counts as 0.5 credits toward a high school computer science credit. No prior experience is required. Students need a laptop, a Discord account, and a willingness to figure things out.

Why Come?

🆓 Free for high school students
🧱 Learn how software and the internet actually work
🏗️ Build and deploy real software
🤖 Learn how to use AI tools
💻 No prior experience required

Location:

Bletchley Commons
411 University Ridge
Greenville, SC 29601

Fall 2026

Thursdays, Sep 3 - Nov 19

1:00 PM - 2:30 PM

Fridays, Sep 4 - Nov 20

10:30 AM - 12:00 PM

Spring 2027

Thursdays, Jan 14 - Apr 8

1:00 PM - 2:30 PM

Fridays, Jan 15 - Apr 9

10:30 AM - 12:00 PM

Course Outline

What is Software + How the Internet Works

Create and deploy a personal homepage to the live internet in a single session.

Learn the difference between programs and applications, how clients and servers talk to each other, and how browsers load websites.

How Websites Are Built

Build a multi-page portfolio site with about, projects, and contact sections.

Learn how HTML, CSS, and JavaScript work together, and understand the difference between frontend and backend.

APIs + Data and Databases

Build a weather dashboard that pulls live data from a public API and saves information for later.

Learn how software gets and keeps information using APIs, JSON, requests and responses, and simple data persistence.

Product Thinking + Rapid Prototyping

Identify a real problem worth solving and build the first working prototype of an original app idea.

Learn how to think like a product designer, sketch a concept, and prompt AI to turn an idea into working software.

Introduction to Real Code

Open a generated project in VS Code and make deliberate changes to the code.

Learn how to read code, navigate project structure, and understand that files and folders are editable, not a black box.

Midterm Demo

Present a working prototype to classmates and receive structured feedback.

Learn how to walk an audience through software, explain technical decisions, and use feedback to improve the next version.

How AI Models Work + Coding with AI

Use Claude Code to improve a real project with an AI coding assistant.

Learn how AI models work under the hood, what tokens and prompts actually are, and where the limits of AI-assisted development sit.

AI + APIs

Add a meaningful AI feature to an existing project, such as a chat assistant, summarizer, or recommendation tool.

Learn how to integrate AI APIs into software and write structured prompts that power real product features.

Improving Software

Evaluate a personal project as a first-time user would and run a focused improvement sprint.

Learn how to debug, iterate, and spot friction points in usability, design, and functionality.

Working Like Real Developers

Publish a project to GitHub and track changes the way professional developers do.

Learn what version control is, why GitHub matters, and how developers collaborate and track changes over time.

Capstone Planning + Build Begins

Scope a final project, prioritize features, and begin building in the same session.

Learn how to plan a product, define the user, and translate a plan into the first working version of real software.

Demo Day

Present a finished application to peers, facilitators, and parents.

Learn how to demonstrate technical work, explain design decisions, and communicate software to a non-technical audience.