Overview
The Institute of Artificial Intelligence (IAI) introduces a new AI Summer Camp for Rising 8th Grade students. Join us for a one-week crash course on areas in Generative AI, Computer Vision, Robotics, Medical AI and more. With hands-on learning and mentorship from top IAI faculty researchers, students will have a great foundation of AI technologies and be well-equipped for the future.
Camp Details
Who Can Apply? Rising 8th graders. Must be 13 years old by Sept 1st, 2026.
Program Dates: June 15-19, 2026. 09:00am-4:00pm daily.
Location: UCF SPRK Room 101 (Main Campus)
Cost: $350 (Includes camp materials, 2 camp t-shirts, lunch and daily activities)
Apply Now
Applications now open!
Important Dates
Online app opens March 4th
Early app deadline March 20th
Early decision emails March 27th
Final app deadline April 10th
Final decision emails April 17th
Dates are subject to change.
Camp at a Glance
The Summer Camp is designed to introduce rising 8th grade students to artificial intelligence in an engaging, age-appropriate, and responsible way.
The camp emphasizes:
- Understanding how AI systems work at a conceptual level
- Hands-on exploration using beginner-friendly tools
- Learning how AI can make mistakes and why
- Developing critical thinking about fairness, safety, and ethics
- Collaborating in teams to solve real-world problems using AI
The goal of the camp is to help them become informed, thoughtful, and responsible users—and future creators—of AI technologies.
Hands-On Learning Approach
Throughout the week, students will participate in:
- Interactive mini-lessons introducing key AI ideas
- Unplugged activities that demonstrate how machine learning works
- Coffee chat with AI Scientists and PhD students
- Simple computer vision experiments using browser-based tools
Camp Instructors
Our camp is led by accomplished UCF IAI faculty who bring exceptional expertise, passion, and real‑world experience to every session. Each instructor is dedicated to creating an engaging, supportive learning environment where campers can explore new skills, spark curiosity, and build confidence. With strong academic backgrounds and a commitment to student growth, our faculty ensure a high‑quality camp experience for every participant.
Dr. Yu Tian
Yu Tian is an Assistant Professor of Computer Science at UCF College of Engineering and Computer Science with a joint appointment in the Department of Clinical Sciences at the College of Medicine. He is affiliated with the UCF Artificial Intelligence Initiative and directs the AI & Imaging in Medicine (AIM) Research Lab. Before joining UCF, Dr. Tian was a postdoctoral researcher at Harvard University and the University of Pennsylvania.
His work focuses on computer vision and machine learning, particularly in biomedical and healthcare applications. His research aims to develop trustworthy, interpretable, and responsible AI systems that can assist clinicians and improve real-world decision-making. He has published extensively in leading AI conferences and journals and has received recognition from the international research community. In addition to his research, Dr. Tian is committed to education and outreach in artificial intelligence. Through initiatives such as the AI Summer Camp, he aims to introduce students to the fundamentals of AI, encourage critical thinking about technology, and inspire the next generation of responsible innovators.
Dr. Laura Brattain
Secondary Joint Appointment with Department of Computer Science and Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering Joined Spring 2024
Dr. Brattain holds a PhD in engineering sciences from Harvard John A. Paulson School of Engineering and Applied Sciences. Her doctoral research focused on ultrasound-guided surgical robots for minimally invasive beating-heart procedures.
Dr. Brattain’s research integrates biomedical artificial intelligence (AI), medical ultrasound, and surgical robotics. She has a proven track record in fostering collaborations, leading multidisciplinary teams, mentoring students and early-career researchers, and facilitating translational AI applications. Her focus in AI research revolves around the dynamic integration of real-time capabilities, extending from cloud computing to lightweight edge AI on smart devices. Driven by a passion for healthcare innovation, she directs her expertise towards the development of real-time diagnostic assistants and advancements in minimally invasive procedures. These endeavors are geared towards enhancing clinical decision support and empowering medical professionals with intelligent medical care capabilities in diverse clinical settings. Dr. Brattain is an IEEE Senior Member, a member of the IEEE Engineering in Medicine and Biology Society, and a member of IEEE Women in Engineering. She currently serves as a co-chair of the American Institute of Ultrasound for Medicine (AIUM) AI Community.
Dr. Amrit Singh Bedi
Assistant Professor
Department of Computer Science
Secondary Joint Appointment with Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering Joined Spring 2024
Amrit Singh Bedi is an assistant professor in the UCF Department of Computer Science. Before coming to UCF, Bedi was a research assistant professor at the University of Maryland, College Park. He received his doctorate in electrical engineering from Indian Institute of Technology, Kanpur. He worked as a research associate within the computational and information sciences directorate at the U.S. Army Research Laboratory from 2019 to 2022. His research interests lie in AI for autonomous systems, with specific emphasis on scalable and sample-efficient learning algorithms. Currently, he is working on the problem of AI alignment in language models. His paper was selected as a Best Paper Finalist at the 2017 IEEE Asilomar Conference on Signals, Systems and Computers. He received an honorable mention from IEEE Robotics and Automation Letters in 2020. He received the Amazon Research Award in 2022.
Bedi’s research work is dedicated to advancing the forefront of machine learning (ML) and artificial intelligence (AI), focusing on critical areas that shape the future of technology and society. Navigating the complexities of AI, his research endeavors to harness its potential responsibly and innovatively.
- Areas of interest include AI Alignment: Theoretical Insights and Practical Algorithms
- Reinforcement Learning from Human Feedback
- Safety/Trustworthiness in Generative AI
- Optimization Techniques for the AI Era
- Data Efficiency in Machine Learning
Contact
Questions about the camp or application process: STEM@ucf.edu.