CompuChild Expands AI and ML After-School Programs for Elementary and Middle School Students
DUBLIN, Calif., Jan. 16, 2026 /PRNewswire/ — CompuChild, a children’s education franchise business dedicated to offering after-school enrichment programs across the United States and Canada, today announced the continued expansion of its suite of Artificial Intelligence (AI) and Machine Learning (ML) awareness classes for elementary and middle school students. CompuChild is one of the very few children’s education franchises in the United States that is STEM Certified by Cognia and has been actively teaching AI and ML concepts to children for more than two years.
As AI-powered technologies become increasingly integrated into education, entertainment, and everyday digital products, CompuChild believes that foundational AI awareness must begin early. Over the past two years, the organization has developed and refined age-appropriate AI and ML curricula designed to help children understand what artificial intelligence is, how machine learning systems work, how AI differs from traditional software and search engines, and how to use these technologies responsibly.
Children today regularly interact with AI-driven systems through games, recommendation engines, voice assistants, and creative tools, often without structured guidance on how these systems generate results or where their limitations lie. Formal instruction on AI concepts such as prompts, training data, bias, and error remains inconsistent in many K–12 settings. CompuChild’s growing AI curriculum is designed to address this gap by introducing AI and ML concepts early, in structured learning environments that emphasize understanding, creativity, and critical thinking.
With the addition of this new course, CompuChild’s AI and ML offerings now include: (a) AI and ML for Young Innovators; (b) AI Game Creator: Coding Fun with Scratch; (c) Video Game Design with Machine Learning (ML) and Scratch; and (d) Prompt Engineering: AI Literacy for Young Learners.
Across these programs, students explore how machine learning models are trained, how prompts influence large language model (LLM) outputs, how AI-generated images and audio are created, and how ML can drive interactive behavior in games and animations. Students are also introduced to the limitations of artificial intelligence, including inaccuracies and potential bias, reinforcing the importance of human judgment when working with AI-generated content.
Commenting on the announcement, the President of CompuChild, Ms. Shubhra Kant, said, “Very few after-school education franchises offer a comprehensive suite of AI and ML courses designed specifically for elementary school children. Most offerings in this space are either sporadic or focused on middle and high school students. CompuChild began teaching AI and ML to children more than two years ago after recognizing how children were already interacting with these technologies. Our Prompt Engineering class will be offered at eight elementary schools in the Silicon Valley, California, during the upcoming spring semester.”
Ms. Kant added, “UNESCO’s AI Competency Framework for Students highlights the importance of teaching critical evaluation, ethical use, and creative collaboration with artificial intelligence. These principles align closely with our approach. By introducing AI and ML concepts in a developmentally appropriate way, we can help children understand how to use these tools correctly and in ways that support learning and healthy development. Our goal is to ensure that AI enhances curiosity, creativity, and problem-solving, rather than replacing thinking during critical learning years.”
CompuChild plans to continue expanding its AI and ML curriculum through its franchise network across the United States and Canada, as part of its broader mission to prepare children with future-ready skills across STEM, entrepreneurship, communication, financial awareness, and ethics.
About COMPUCHILD
The COMPUCHILD franchise offers Entrepreneurial STEAMâ„¢ (Science, Technology, Engineering, Art, and Math)-focused enrichment programs for children primarily at the pre-kindergarten, elementary, and middle school levels in the United States and Canada. With its unique focus on entrepreneurial education, strong emphasis on low cost, regular training, and constant support to its franchisees, COMPUCHILD strives to be the best children’s after-school education franchise. COMPUCHILD’s after-school enrichment programs help kindle the spirit of constant learning, innovation, critical thinking, and collaboration for the social good at a young age. COMPUCHILD’s mission is to nurture ethical and entrepreneurial children through after-school education.
Contact
Phone: (341) 777-8000
Email: [email protected]
Own a Franchise: https://COMPUCHILD.com/own-a-franchise
SOURCE CompuChild
