Online STEM & AI Courses for Teens in USA
RITS runs live online STEM and AI courses for students ages 12 to 16, open to anyone in the US. Each course runs four weeks and covers a hands-on project, like coding your own video game or building an AI chatbot, taught live by real instructors in small groups. Students leave with a project they built themselves and can show off, not just notes from a lecture.
CHOOSE YOUR PROJECT
Choose What You Want to Build
No prior coding or Al experience required. Courses are project-specific and can be taken in any order.
COURSE 01
Code Your Own Video Game
Code Your Own Video Game
Go from playing games to building one.
Focus
Python / JS
Ratio
8:1
Outcome
Playable Game
Students learn coding by creating their own playable video game. Rather than simply following tutorials, students make decisions about how their game should work, use coding and Al-assisted development tools to bring their ideas to life, and troubleshoot problems as they build.
STUDENTS WILL EXPLORE
✔ Foundational coding concepts
✔ Game logic and interactive design
✔ AI-assisted coding
✔ Debugging and troubleshooting
✔ Testing and improving a digital product
STUDENTS WILL BUILD
Their own playable video game they can save, share, and continue improving.
WHY RITS ONLINE
More Than Another Online Class
Build Something Real
Every RITS course leads somewhere. Students don't spend weeks watching presentations or completing disconnected exercises. They learn new concepts and immediately apply them to something they're creating a playable video game, a custom Al chatbot, or a collection of Al-powered projects. The goal isn't simply to finish the course. It's to finish something they're proud to show you.
Create a Portfolio They Can Show
Learning a skill is valuable. Being able to show what you can do with it is even better. RITS students leave with projects they can save, share, and continue improving. Where appropriate, students can publish their work through tools such as GitHub and begin building a portfolio that grows with them throughout high school. Over time, those projects can become work they share with teachers, college programs, internships, and eventually employers. Don't just say you learned to code or use Al. Show what you built.
Active, Not Passive
No hour-long Zoom lectures. Our online courses are designed around doing. Students spend class time coding, experimenting, building, sharing their screens, troubleshooting problems, and getting feedback from instructors. With a maximum 8:1 student-to-instructor ratio, students have opportunities to ask questions and get hands-on help when they need it. The computer isn't just where students watch the class. It's where they build.
Built for Beginners. Designed to Challenge Them.
Students don't need years of coding experience to participate. Our courses introduce concepts step by step and give students the freedom to experiment, make mistakes, solve problems, and progressively take more ownership of what they create. Students learn from talented college students studying engineering, computer science, and related STEM fields who can serve as both instructors and relatable mentors.
STUDENT WORK
Hundreds of Students Have Already Built With RITS
RITS has helped hundreds of middle and high school students explore artificial intelligence, coding, robotics, engineering, and emerging technology through our summer camps and hands-on programs. Our online courses bring that same philosophy home: give students great mentors, powerful tools, and something meaningful to build.
Everything You Need to Know
How long is a RITS online class?
Each RITS class meets live for one hour on Sundays for four weeks, or four total sessions. Students finish with a completed project they built themselves. Classes are online and open to students anywhere in the US.
Why do RITS classes meet on Sundays?
RITS classes meet on Sunday afternoons (EST), so they don't compete with school, homework, or weekday activities. There's no homework between sessions and nothing to keep up with on a school night. Students work on their project during class with an instructor present.
Are RITS classes live or pre-recorded?
Live. Every RITS class is taught in real time by an instructor who can see student work and answer questions as they come up. Classes are not recorded lectures or self-paced videos. Instructor: student ratios are capped at 8:1.
What time zone are classes in?
Classes meet at 1PM Eastern on Sundays, which is noon Central, 11AM Mountain, and 10AM Pacific. Students join from anywhere in the US!
Is "vibecoding" actually teaching my kid to code?
Students in Code Your Own Video Game build a working game by directing an AI coding assistant, then reading, testing, and fixing the code it produces. They learn to describe what they want precisely, spot when the output is wrong, and debug it (which is close to how much professional software is written today).
How much does a RITS class cost?
$215 for the full four-week class. That covers all four live sessions, and AI tokens. There are no subscriptions or auto-renewals to worry about.
What ages and grades are RITS classes for?
Grades 6–10, roughly ages 12–16.
Does my child need coding experience?
No prior experience is required for the Code Your Own AI Chatbot class. Every class starts from zero, and students work with an instructor live for the full hour rather than following a video on their own.
What equipment does my child need?
Your child needs a personally managed Chromebook or laptop. Ideally, your student will have high-speed internet and be able to join with their camera on. They will be expected to download and install VS Code.
How do you keep online classes safe?
RITS takes safety seriously.
Faculty and Staff
All instructors are background-checked as part of their onboarding process. No instructor or staff member will message a student directly unless the parent/guardian is also on the email.
Online Meeting Room
Students join the Zoom via a link to their email calendar (parents are also on the invitation).
Data Collection
Students access the LLM through RITS’ Google Cloud Platform Account so they do not make any personal accounts or share personal information. Students will be asked to submit anonymous feedback about their experiences for internal use.
When does the next class start?
Session | Dates | Time (EST) | Grades | Topics Offered | Status |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
1 | October 4 - Oct 25 | 1 PM- 2 PM | 6-10 | Code Your Own Video Game | Open for Enrollment |
2 | Nov 1- Nov 22 | 3 PM-4 PM | 6-10 | New Project TBA | Open for Enrollment |
What Will Your Student Build?
Choose the project that gets them excited to start creating.
CODE A VIDEO GAME ● BUILD A CHATBOT ● EXPLORE AI
Not sure where to start? Test the waters with RITS Summer Camp