The Pre-Collegiate AI-CDIO Research Program is a 10-week, team-based research sprint designed for high school students in grades 9–12 interested in AI, engineering design, and K–12 education. Under expert mentorship, participants conduct literature reviews, design and prototype educational or technical systems, and develop evidence-based findings into a conference-ready manuscript. The program’s structured approach includes three research gates—Research, Evidence, and Publication—to guide students from initial questions to scholarly submission. Sessions run twice weekly from September to November 2026, led by experienced educator Dr. Cao.
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The Pre-Collegiate AI-CDIO Research Program is a team-based research sprint that guides students from research questions to a submission-ready conference manuscript.
Students explore how AI, engineering design, invention, and K–12 education can come together through the AI-CDIO framework. Working under structured mentorship, teams conduct literature research, design and prototype curriculum or technical systems, examine implementation evidence, and develop their findings into scholarly research.
The program is built around three research gates—Research, Evidence, and Publication—to help students move from ideas to rigorous, evidence-based scholarship.
Target: CSEDU 2027
Paper deadline: November 17, 2026
Group Paper Topics (Choose one of them):
AI-CDIO:Extending the CDIO Framework to K–12 Artificial Intelligence and Invention Education (Systematic/scoping review+theoretical framework)
From Science Inquiry to AI-Powered Engineering Challenges: Integrating NGSS with AI-CDIO for K–12 Young Inventors (Curriculum-design+standards-alignment study)
From Sensors to Intelligent Inventions: An AI-CDIO Project-Based Learning Framework for K–12 Students (Technical prototype+curriculum-design study)
Launch, training, team & research questions
Literature review & research-gap indetification
Methodology &evidence plan - RESEARCH GATE
Conceive + Design
Implement & prototype
Supervised K–12 classroom practice
Analyze findings - EVIDENCE GATE
Full manuscript v1
Internal peer review - PUBLICATION GATE
Finalization, anonymization & submission readiness
TA Requirement: Must join at least one week.
Monday 3:45-4:35PM PST and Wednesday 4:45-5:45PM PST.
TA Address: 20900 McClellan Rd Building 2, Cupertino, CA 95014
Dr. Cao is an experienced educator and inventor with over 15 years of teaching experience focused on innovation and creativity. He holds a Ph.D. from the Fraunhofer Institute in Germany, holds multiple patents, and is the founder of BitLab (Future Classroom).
Grades: G9–G12
Dates: 9/22/2026 – 11/15/2026
Program Time: Tuesday and Friday at 6PM PST, 1hr to 1.5hr per class
Independent Study Hours: 4-6 independent hours per week outside the group session
Tuition: $7500
Talk it through with a general counselor. They can help you decide if this program fits and what to do next.
