With summer here, your College or High School student is probably looking forward to some well-earned downtime. That's great—but I want to share something I believe is more important than any internship or summer job they could land this season.
We are living through one of the fastest technological shifts in modern history. Artificial intelligence isn't a future trend — it's already rewriting how companies hire, promote, and pay. AI tools are being embedded into virtually every industry: finance, healthcare, law, marketing, and engineering. A 2026 study by Goldman Sachs estimates AI could impact 300 million jobs globally. The winners will be the people who know how to use it.
Ask your child about how much AI is getting incorporated into their coursework. Curriculum cycles can take years to change, so some programs may not be teaching students how to prompt, build with, or strategically apply AI tools in real-world settings.
This summer is a rare window of opportunity.
So encourage your student to find a job but also encourage them to invest in "sharpening the saw" with new AI skills. Free and low-cost resources could give them an edge before their peers even realize one exists.
Some respected Wall Street pundits predict that future middle school students will routinely learn “Reading, Writing, and Coding.” Of course, all three will integrate AI to write, edit, and select content, including code. Current students need to become fully conversant with these soon-to-be ubiquitous tools.
For students in high school or college, the goal isn't just to learn "how to code," but to understand how AI can be aforce multiplier for their existing interests—whether that’s finance, engineering, or even the arts.
Students who arrive back on campus in September with a stronger AI game might be playing at a higher level.
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The online landscape for learning tech is vast and, fortunately, some of the highest-quality resources are completely free. Whether you are looking for a rigorous university-style path or bite-sized mobile lessons, there are excellent options available now. Here are just a few.
Best Overall for Coding
- freeCodeCamp: Widely considered the "gold standard" for free learning. It offers over 3,000 hours of curriculum covering Web Development, Data Science, and Machine Learning. You earn verified certificates by building real-world projects.
- CS50: Introduction to Computer Science: Harvard University's legendary introductory course. It’s free to audit on edX and provides a deep foundation in how computers actually work, rather than just teaching a single language.
- Code in Place: A unique, high-engagement Python course from Stanford University that typically runs annually (starting around April). It pairs thousands of students with volunteer teachers for a more "classroom" feel.
- W3Schools: Best used as a "coding dictionary." It’s perfect for quick, interactive tutorials on HTML, CSS, JavaScript, and SQL.
Best for AI & Machine Learning
- Google AI Learning: A massive catalog of free modules. Highlights include "Introduction to Generative AI" (45 minutes) and "Google AI Essentials," which focuses on using AI tools to boost daily productivity.
- Microsoft AI Skills Navigator: A guided portal that creates a personalized learning path based on your goals, ranging from basic Copilot use to advanced Azure AI engineering.
- IBM SkillsBuild: Excellent for those wanting credentials. They offer foundational tracks in Generative AI and Chatbots that provide digital badges you can display on LinkedIn.
- MIT OpenCourseWare (6.S191): For a more technical deep dive, MIT’s "Introduction to Deep Learning" is updated every January. It includes high-quality video lectures on YouTube and hands-on labs in Google Colab. [Worth Exploring: MIT offers free courses in many various disciplines.]
Mobile & Bite-Sized Learni ng
- SoloLearn: Great for learning on the go. It covers 20+ languages with a heavy emphasis on community interaction and quick quizzes.
- Mimo: Best for absolute beginners who want a gamified experience (similar to Duolingo) to build a daily coding habit.
AI Literacy & Ethics (Technical skills are common, but the ability to navigate the implications of AI is rare.)
- Elements of AI: A free series of courses that explains the "why" behind AI without requiring heavy math. It’s perfect for a student to list on a resume to show they understand the strategic landscape of technology.
- AI for Everyone (DeepLearning.AI): Specifically designed for non-technical people to understand how to spot opportunities for AI in any business or organization.
Some students are not attracted to theory or math, but can easily become engaged via hands-on experience. In 2026-27, a "proof of work" such as a completed practical project using AI will often be more impressive than a simple transcript of courses. This applies equally to universities and employers.
Building a "Digital Portfolio" Early
- Consider "AI-Augmented" Projects: Instead of a standard science fair project, a student could build an AI agent that summarizes local school board meetings or a tool that analyzes market trends for specific sectors like Lockheed Martin (LMT) or NVIDIA (NVDA).
- Kaggle: This is a platform for data science competitions. Even just participating in a "Titanic" survivor prediction challenge gives students a taste of real-world data handling that they won't get in a standard classroom.
Pro Tip: If you're interested in the business side of AI or in recruiting tech talent, focusing on "AI Literacy" tracks (like those from IBM or Google) is often more valuable than learning to write the underlying code yourself.