A ten-week course · designed for teens, grades 8–12
Going Live: Vibecode a Website or App
Your teen picks one idea and builds it into a small website or app. In Week 2 they publish a first site. From Week 3 it's their own idea, online, and it grows each week. They use AI to write the code, and I teach them to check what it wrote and explain how it works. No coding experience needed.
quick facts
The course at a glance
- WhoGrades 8–12Designed for teens. The tools used require users to be at least 13.
- How long10 weekly sessionsAbout 55 minutes each.
- FormatShort demo + hands-on buildMost of every session is project time.
- Homework20–30 min a weekWith a clear stopping point.
- ExperienceNone neededBeginners and experienced students learn together.
why this class
Why I teach this
I made this class because I want teens to head into adult life comfortable using AI, and careful with it.
I'm a homeschool parent and I run my own tech business, and I use AI in both every day. It helps me plan our meals and our week, map out homeschool lessons and keep our budget on track. I've also used it to build a lot of apps, big and small. I built them the same way students build their projects in this class: I worked through each piece with the AI, tested it, and fixed what didn't work.
A lot of people are nervous about AI, parents and teens alike. They worry about jobs, and about where all of this is heading. I understand that. I've also seen how many ways it can help, at work and at home. It does get things wrong, which is why I teach students to work through a problem together with it, then use logic and testing to decide what's right.
Building websites is a skill they could someday use to earn money, maybe by making sites for other people. The bigger thing I want them to take away is how to work with AI and check its work, because that's useful at a job and at home. And I hope they finish the class knowing they can figure things out on their own.
what they build
What your teen builds
"Vibecoding" means building software by describing what you want to an AI tool and working with what it writes. In my class students do that, and then they check what the AI wrote before they keep it. The project can be a website or a small app, and in Week 6 they learn how an app saves information.
feedback
What I look for
I'm looking for a main task that works, that they tested, and that they can explain. They don't have to understand every line the AI wrote, as long as they know what their project does and how they know it works.
How your website gets online
- Edit in VS Code
Change your project files.
- Preview in your browser
Open it and try it.
- Publish with Cloudflare
Put a version online.
the ten weeks
Ten weeks, one project
Every class starts with a short demonstration, then about 35–40 minutes of work on the project.
Week 1: Plan it safely
AI and online safety. Then a plan for the project, a sketch of the main screen, and three checks for whether it works.
Week 2: First launch
They publish a starter site and check that nothing private is on it. In Week 3 it becomes their own project.
Week 3: Make it clear
Headings, navigation, and links that help visitors find their way.
Week 4: Make it work
One interaction that works, tested three times and explained.
Week 5: Make it usable
Readable design, clear labels, and keyboard checks.
Week 6: Save it and handle mistakes
They learn how an app saves information, and check what people type before it's saved.
Week 7: Fit every screen
The main task works on a narrow phone and a wide laptop.
Week 8: Debug with evidence
Reproduce a bug, check an AI-suggested fix, and prove it worked.
Week 9: Test with a user
Watch someone use it without coaching, then fix what matters most.
Week 10: Show your work
They show the project, explain how it works, and say how they checked it.
for students
How to do well in this class
This class is yours. I'm here to teach, help and give feedback, and the rest is up to you. Each week you'll know what needs doing.
- Come to class every week with your laptop charged
- Do the 20–30 minutes of homework. Each week has a clear stopping point.
- Work in small steps: one change, then test it
- Save a version before you ask AI for a big change
- Check what the AI wrote before you keep it
- Be able to explain how your project works, in your own words
- When you're stuck, ask for help. Ask me, in class or with the help flag in the app, and ask the AI too. Tell it exactly where you're stuck and what you've tried.
- If you miss a class, catch up with that week's home review
after the last class
What your teen walks away with
Everything stays in their own accounts after the course ends.
- A working website or app, online
Built around their idea and published from their Cloudflare account.
- Their code, in their own GitHub
Every saved version stays with them, so they can keep improving the project after the course.
- A learning notebook
Their notes from the course, which they can export and keep.
- A demo they can explain
They show the project and walk through how it works and how they checked it.
- How to work with AI
Write a clear prompt, ask for one change at a time, check what comes back, and keep personal details out of it.
tools
The tools
I send a step-by-step setup guide that walks you through each one before the first class.
VS Code (opens in a new tab)
The free code editor where students write and save their project files. Installed on the student's laptop.
GitHub (opens in a new tab) and Copilot (opens in a new tab)
GitHub keeps saved versions of the project. Copilot, inside VS Code, is the main AI students code with. Students can get extra features free through GitHub Education (opens in a new tab).
Gmail account (opens in a new tab)
Used to sign in to the class app and to create the other tool accounts.
Cloudflare (opens in a new tab)
Each student's own account, set up with a parent or guardian. It publishes the website.
Gemini (opens in a new tab)
Optional, for a second opinion. Students learn to have one AI check another's work. Copilot stays the main coding tool.
Student versions of the tools
Students can apply for free student access, which adds features to the free tiers. Homeschool students qualify with dated proof of enrollment, such as an enrollment letter or schedule. Approval takes time, so apply early.
Where websites go live
Each student publishes from their own Cloudflare (opens in a new tab) account. Hosting is free for a class project.
They publish a first version in Week 2, then update it as the project grows each week.
Where students work each week
- Weekly guided lessons, one step at a time, with extra help for beginners.
- Saved progress, so students can pick up at home where they stopped.
- A private class gallery of project links. Listings are optional, and only the class can see them.
- An AI helper for explanations. It's optional, and every lesson works without it.
safety and privacy
Safety and privacy
I teach online safety in Week 1. The class app leaves out the features that make most apps risky for teens.
- No chat, comments, likes, public profiles, or leaderboards
The class app has no messaging between students and no popularity counts or rankings.
- Student sites are public
Anyone with the link can open them, so students use made-up information only and check for anything private before every publish.
- Personal information stays out
Students learn to keep personal details, other people's photos, and sign-in codes out of AI prompts and projects.
- A notice before your teen starts
Before your teen starts, I send you a notice that lists what information the class app keeps and why.
- No ads, and I don't sell information
Student information is used for the class only.
for families
What your teen needs
I send a setup guide with links and checks before the first class.
Equipment
- A laptop that can install softwareIt needs to run VS Code (opens in a new tab), a browser, and a second screen together. Chromebooks, tablets, and locked school devices often can't install what's needed. See laptop specs below.
- A second monitor and its cable (very strongly recommended)Instructions on one screen, VS Code on the other. An ordinary monitor you already have is fine. How to set it up: Windows (opens in a new tab) · Mac (opens in a new tab).
- A reliable internet connectionThe tools, the class app, and publishing all work online.
Free accounts, set up before Week 2
- Gmail (opens in a new tab)
Required. An existing suitable account is fine.
- GitHub (opens in a new tab)
For Copilot and for saving project versions. Choose a username that doesn't give away personal information.
- Cloudflare (opens in a new tab)
The student's own account, for publishing their website.
Set up together. A parent or guardian helps create each account, reads each tool's terms with the student, and uses accurate information when signing up. The setup guide walks through every step.
Laptop specs
Most laptops from the last few years work. If you're buying one, use these as a guide. No particular brand is required.
Minimum
- System: Windows 11, or a macOS version that still gets Apple security updates
- Memory: 8 GB RAM
- Storage: 128 GB SSD with at least 20 GB free
- Screen out: an HDMI or USB-C video port for the second monitor
- Permission to install software (not a locked school or work laptop)
Recommended
- Memory: 16 GB RAM, for a browser, VS Code, and Copilot at the same time
- Storage: 256 GB SSD or more
- Processor: Apple M-series, Intel Core i5 / Core Ultra 5, or AMD Ryzen 5 or better
- Battery: lasts a full session, plus the charger
Good choices if buying
- MacBook Air with an Apple M-series chip (16 GB if buying new). Refurbished models from Apple's refurbished store (opens in a new tab) work well.
- A mid-range Windows 11 laptop with 16 GB RAM, a 256 GB+ SSD, and an HDMI port. Business-line refurbished laptops are often good value.
- Avoid: Chromebooks, iPads and tablets, and laptops with less than 8 GB RAM or a 64 GB drive. They usually can't run the tools well.
VS Code's own requirements are lower (official requirements (opens in a new tab)); these specs leave room for everything running together.
What the software costs
Every tool has a free option. The one that may cost money is GitHub Copilot, if a student doesn't get free student access.
| Tool | Cost | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| VS Code (opens in a new tab) | Free | The code editor. |
| Gmail / Google account (opens in a new tab) | Free | Required for sign-in. |
| GitHub (opens in a new tab) | Free | Saves project versions. |
| GitHub Copilot (opens in a new tab) | Free with student access, or $0 / $10 a month |
|
| Cloudflare (opens in a new tab) | Free | Hosting is free for a class project. |
| Gemini (opens in a new tab) | Free | Optional. No paid plan needed. |
Likely total: $0 with student access, or about $30 if a student buys Copilot Pro for the course. Prices checked September 2026 and can change; check each link before buying. Paid upgrades are optional, and any purchase is your call.
- Step 1Student agreement
The student reads and accepts the course expectations in the class app.
- Step 2Family information notice
You read the notice about how the class app uses information, and confirm it in the app.
- Step 3Get ready to build
Work through the setup checklist: equipment, accounts, and a quick save test.
questions
Questions families ask
Tap or click a question to see my answer.
Isn't the AI just doing the work?
No. Copilot suggests code, and your teen decides what to keep. I ask them to predict what code will do before they run it and to explain it afterward, and I read those explanations. They also keep a record of what they asked the AI for and what they kept.
The class isn't graded. My feedback looks at planning, a working main task, testing, usability, safety and their explanations. Extra features don't count for more.
Is it safe? Who can see my student's website?
Anyone with the link. Your teen's site is on the internet. It has a tag that asks search engines not to list it, but that doesn't make it private. So the rule is that nothing private goes on it. Students use made-up information only, and they check for that before every publish.
In Week 6 they learn how an app saves information. On a public site, anyone could save to it, so that's made-up information too. An optional extra lesson shows how to put a password on saving.
The class app has no chat, comments, likes or public profiles. The class gallery is private to the class, listings are optional, and they use a display name your teen picks.
I can't help with tech at home. Is that a problem?
No. I send a step-by-step setup guide that covers every account and install. Each week has a home review page, and if your teen gets stuck on a step, they can flag it in the app and I'll see it.
Does my student need coding experience?
No. Beginners get starter examples and numbered steps, and nobody at home needs to know how to code.
My teen already codes. Will they be bored?
They can skip the extra explanation and take on an optional extension once the week's main work is done. They also work the way developers do: saving versions in GitHub, testing with evidence, and explaining their decisions.
My teen starts coding tutorials and never finishes. Will this be different?
Everything in the class goes into one project, on an idea your teen picks. They publish a starter site in Week 2 and make it their own in Week 3. Each week after that adds one thing, until they show it in Week 10.
Will any of this be useful later?
They use VS Code, GitHub and Copilot, which working developers use too. The habits I care most about are finding a bug before trying to fix it, and being able to explain their own code.
How much screen time is this?
Ten weekly classes of about 55 minutes, plus 20–30 minutes of homework a week with a clear stopping point. Most of that time is spent building.
What will the software cost?
Usually nothing. Every tool has a free option. The one that may cost money is GitHub Copilot, if a student doesn't get free student access. See what the software costs for the details.
What if a student misses a session?
Each week's lesson stays in the class app with a home review that walks through the steps in writing. Past weeks stay open, so your teen can catch up at home. If they get stuck, they can leave a help flag on that step and I'll see it.
What if our laptop is older?
It may be fine. It needs to install software and run VS Code, a web browser, and a second screen at the same time. Try that at home first. Chromebooks, tablets, and locked school devices often can't install what's needed. Please don't buy a new laptop just for this course without trying yours first.
Is AI help required?
Copilot is the main coding tool. The class app's AI helper is optional, and every lesson works without it. Students learn to keep personal information out of anything they type into an AI tool.
What happens after the course?
The project belongs to your teen. The code stays in their GitHub account, and the website stays in their Cloudflare account, so they can keep improving it. They can also export their learning notebook to keep.
What age is the course for?
It's designed for teens in grades 8–12. Students need to be at least 13, because the tools it uses, such as GitHub and Google accounts, require it.