Twenty-five high school students in Rancho Cordova, California, recently completed an intensive 12-week artificial intelligence training program. Organized by the Suvidha International Foundation and running from April through July 2026, the after-school initiative engaged students in grades 9 through 12 from Cordova High School.
The program was backed by the Sacramento Municipal Utility District’s (SMUD) Shine Award and received vital support from Cordova High School alongside local tech partners, including Tech Yantra, ERTech Pros, and WATI. Led by Bhaskar Vempati, founder and president of the Suvidha International Foundation, with technical instruction and mentoring provided by Manoj Yakkali of Citizen.AI, the curriculum successfully introduced participants to software development despite many having little to no prior background.
Curriculum Structure and Practical Application:
Rather than diving straight into complex machine learning models, the training adopted a progressive, hands-on structure designed to build foundational skills:
Foundational Learning: Students began with core lessons covering AI fundamentals, Python programming, responsible AI practices, problem-solving methodologies, and application design.
Initial Projects: Participants built basic e-commerce applications, gaining practical experience in planning, writing, testing, and refining code before tackling more advanced challenges.
Utility-Focused AI Tools: In the final phase, students split into three collaborative teams to develop beginner-level utility-aligned AI applications:
Bill Comparison Module: Designed to help consumers analyze and comprehend electricity usage and associated costs.
Issue-Reporting Module: Created to handle utility-related concerns while explicitly prompting immediate safety protocols for severe hazards like downed power lines.
Incentive Finder: Built to assist local residents in discovering energy-efficiency rebates and government sustainability programs.
Organizers noted that while these projects represent impressive technical milestones, the applications remain in early developmental stages and require rigorous testing, data updates, and expert reviews before public deployment.
Showcase Event and Holistic Development:
The program culminated in a formal AI showcase on July 21 at Rancho Cordova City Hall, where students demonstrated their software prototypes and answered questions from a diverse audience of community stakeholders. Attendees included representatives from SMUD, the Folsom Cordova Unified School District, the Cordova Recreation and Park District, Citizen.AI, local technology professionals, and proud parents.
Beyond coding and technical competencies, the initiative significantly strengthened participants’ soft skills, including teamwork, communication, leadership, time management, and public presentations. Students successfully balanced the rigorous coursework alongside regular school obligations, sports, and extracurricular commitments persisting through the summer months as classes shifted to a new venue. According to the foundation, parent feedback underscored a notable rise in student confidence, enhanced problem-solving skills, and a lasting interest in STEM education and technology-driven career paths.
