At Boys Town, preparing youth for a brighter future means meeting them where they are and showing them where they can go.
This fall, 25 students from Boys Town and the local community stepped into the world of artificial intelligence through a transformative bootcamp hosted by the Mark Cuban Foundation and sponsored by Notified. As one of 30 camps held nationwide, the Boys Town bootcamp gave students hands-on exposure to AI concepts like large language models, machine learning and data ethics. But more than that, it gave them a glimpse of what’s possible. “The kids are learning about the technology behind artificial intelligence and some science,” said Dimitriy Khots, Boys Town’s VP of Data Analytics. “But they’re also learning about how to be safe and secure with artificial intelligence.”
For students like Quentin, the excitement was personal. “I just want to be able to use AI so my future in health care will benefit,” he shared. Kit, another Boys Town youth, saw AI as a way to eventually work at Boys Town after further studies.
This year’s camp marked the final session in a three-part series, each one building deeper understanding and stronger relationships. “It’s an amazing thing for both kids and mentors,” Khots added. “We build a relationship with these kids. Hopefully, we’ll hire them later on when they graduate college.”
Stem teacher Paul Blum echoed the sentiment: “This is just one more opportunity to prepare our students for the future and help them learn what’s on the other side of Boys Town.” Thanks to Notified’s sponsorship and the Mark Cuban Foundation’s visionary curriculum, student who once struggled to imagine finishing high school are now dreaming of careers in tech and entrepreneurship. The bootcamp is more than a class; it’s a launchpad.
At Boys Town, we believe that every child deserves the chance to succeed. Programs like this AI bootcamp help bridge the gap between potential and possibility, giving our youth the tools, confidence and inspiration to shape their own futures. From all of us at Boys Town, thank you to the Mark Cuban Foundation and Notified. Your support is changing lives, one student, one spark, one future at a time.
