Mentorship Programs
Building Agency Through Real-World Projects
Why Student Programs?
Helicon's student programs are designed to push students to realize their own educational and practical agency. We believe that education should do more than transfer information—it should empower learners to identify problems in their lives and communities, develop practical skills, and create meaningful solutions.
Through project-based and goal-oriented learning, students define their own objectives within structured constraints that target essential skills. AI serves as a tool to accelerate learning and amplify creativity, not replace human thinking. By the end of each program, students have tangible products that demonstrate their capabilities and contribute to their communities.
Featured Program
Community Vibe-Coding
Build functional apps that address real problems in your community
Program Overview
The Community Vibe-Coding program trains high-school students to build functional, practical apps that address problems they've experienced in their community. Over 9 weeks, students learn foundational software development principles, problem-solving, and AI literacy.
By the end of the program, students will have created a functional app to display in their portfolio and a certificate of completion. Students may have the opportunity to collaborate with a local community organization to implement their app.
Duration
9 weeks • 2 classes per week • 18 total sessions
Cohort Size
16 students in groups of 4
Prerequisites
No prior coding experience required—just passion and motivation
What Students Learn
Software Development
Frontend, backend, databases, and the full development lifecycle
AI Literacy
How AI works, its capabilities and limitations, and responsible use
Problem Solving
Identifying community problems and designing practical solutions
Project Management
Planning, building, testing, and presenting complete applications
Curriculum Structure
18 lessons structured as one large project with outcomes defined by the student
Foundations
- Introductions & Goal Setting
- Software Development Overview
- What, How, and Why of AI
Problem & Design
- Problem Identification & Solutions
- UI/UX Design Fundamentals
Development Basics
- Web Front-End Basics
- Back-End Concepts
Data & Security
- Databases and Dataflows
- Security, Privacy & Responsible AI
Capstone Build
- Problem Identification & Planning
- App Development (3 sessions)
- Peer Presentations & Critiques
Launch & Reflect
- Critique Implementation
- Community Presentations
- Future Planning & Celebration
Our Approach
The program teaches through a project-based and goal-oriented learning style. Students design their own project goals defined by constraints that target specific software development and problem-solving skills.
Projects start with a fundamental overview to provide mental scaffolding. Students then go through a discovery phase—researching individually, discussing with peers, applying knowledge, and sharing their work for feedback.
At each milestone, students relate their learning back to the core structure and rate their own success, articulating what they did well and what they wish they could have done better.
ACE Framework
Students learn to create apps that enable Access, Communication, and Education in their communities—three pillars that drive social impact.
Collaborative Learning
Students work in groups of 4 throughout the program, providing a secure environment for sharing thoughts and receiving meaningful feedback.
AI as a Tool
AI assists at every stage of development—from brainstorming to debugging—while students maintain ownership of their creative and technical decisions.
Student Outcomes
Discover the tangible benefits of software development and digital literacy
Learn foundational software development skills
Engage in a process of self-discovery and social awareness
Develop an independent problem-solving and computational mindset
Contribute to their communities in ways that are meaningful to them
Create a functional product to demonstrate their new capabilities
Connect with organizations that can implement their product
What Students Take Home
Functional App
A complete, working application addressing a real community problem
Portfolio Piece
Professional documentation and presentation materials for college and career applications
Certificate
Official Helicon AI Institute certificate of completion
Community Impact
Students may have the opportunity to partner with local community organizations to implement their apps. This creates real-world impact while building professional connections and demonstrating how impactful individuals can be with the right mindset and education.
Learn About Our PhilosophyGet Involved
Interested in bringing this program to your school or community? Contact us to learn more about partnership opportunities.