ARYF’s free resource guide
Learn for free. We curated it for you.
Every course we teach maps to free resources anyone can self-study. We’ve vetted these picks ourselves — no trial bait, no paywall surprises. Pick a subject and start.
Subject 01 Β· AI
AI literacy & applications
From "what is AI and what isn’t it" to building real LLM-powered tools. The resources below balance hands-on building with the safe + skeptical lens we think kids deserve.
Explorer Β· elementary to middle school
- Day of AI (MIT RAISE) Gold-standard K-12 AI literacy. Parent-runnable lesson plans for elementary and middle school.
- Experiments with Google 5β20 minute interactive demos that teach what a neural net is by showing you.
- Common Sense Education β AI Literacy 20-minute lesson plans for grades 6β12 with a strong "safe + skeptical" frame.
- Code.org β AI for Oceans 30 minutes, no login. Teaches training data and bias hands-on.
Builder Β· middle to high school
- Microsoft β Generative AI for Beginners 21 lessons, end-to-end LLM app curriculum. Runs on a free GitHub Models endpoint β no required paid API key.
- Hugging Face Learn Best open-weights perspective. Teaches the right mental model for how modern ML actually works.
- Anthropic Prompt Engineering Tutorial 9 chapters, self-grading exercises, Claude Haiku-friendly so it’s cheap to run.
- Elements of AI Helsinki + MinnaLearn. A non-coder onramp suitable for ages 14+.
Subject 02 Β· Coding
Coding
Block coding first, then real Python. Each pick was chosen because it teaches thinking-in-code, not just syntax memorization.
Explorer Β· elementary to middle school
- Scratch The platform AND its tutorials. From MIT; ~200M users globally. Best first step into programming.
- Code.org β CS Fundamentals (Express) Standards-aligned K-5 sequence, ~30 hours, no ads, no signup needed.
- Python for Everybody (Dr. Charles Severance) The gentlest serious intro to Python. CC-licensed textbook from U-Michigan.
- Experience CS (Raspberry Pi Foundation) The official successor to Google’s CS First. Grades 3β8.
- MIT App Inventor Block-based mobile app builder. Great "what’s next after Scratch" for ages 10+.
Builder Β· middle to high school
- Harvard CS50P β CS50’s Introduction to Python Best production quality of any free Python course anywhere. Harvard’s name carries weight with parents.
- freeCodeCamp β Scientific Computing with Python Donor-supported nonprofit. Awards a free verifiable certificate at the end.
- MIT App Inventor β AI extensions Build a chatbot or image classifier mobile app with block code. Free + MIT-maintained.
- Practical Python by David Beazley CC-BY-SA. Best as a second Python course β assumes you already know the basics.
Subject 03 Β· Robotics
Robotics
Robotics teaches the whole loop — sense, decide, act. From first programmable builds to competition-grade engineering, all with vetted curricula behind the picks.
Explorer Β· elementary to middle school
- micro:bit Education Lesson plans for 7β11 and 9β12 with the $15 micro:bit board. BBC-originated, Micro:bit Foundation maintained.
- VEXcode VR Browser-based robot simulator. No hardware needed. Grades 3+.
- VEX Education STEM Labs (IQ) Curriculum and competition framework from the same organization that runs VEX IQ.
- FIRST LEGO League Free seasonal materials (engineering notebook, core values, missions).
- Carnegie Mellon Robotics Academy University-developed K-12 robotics curriculum. Virtual options are free.
Builder Β· middle to high school
- VEX Education STEM Labs (V5 / EXP) Engineering-grade curriculum for the V5 / EXP competition platforms.
- WPILib β Zero to Robot The FRC programming bible. Universal for control-loop fundamentals even outside FRC.
- CMU Robotics Academy / CS2N University-quality robotics + CS curriculum, free for K-12 use.
- FIRST Tech Challenge programming + FTC SIM Free sanctioned simulator. Practice strategy before metal hits the field.
Subject 04 Β· 3D & CAD
3D modeling & CAD
Browser-based CAD for beginners, professional parametric tools for builders. Same pipeline either way: idea β CAD β STL β slicer β printed part in your hand.
Explorer Β· elementary to middle school
- Tinkercad The de-facto K-8 browser CAD tool. Runs on a Chromebook. Note: under 13 needs a parent/teacher-managed account.
- Bambu Lab Academy Best "what actually happens when you press print" curriculum available right now.
- Thingiverse Education Ready-to-teach lesson plans tied to printable objects you can remix.
- BlocksCAD Scratch-style block CAD with STL export. Great bridge from Scratch into 3D.
Builder Β· middle to high school
- Onshape Education Professional parametric CAD in the browser. Apply for the Education plan for private documents.
- Blender + Blender Guru “Donut” series Open-source 3D, the industry-standard free tutorial path.
- Fusion 360 Personal Use Real engineering CAD. Note: yearly renewal, 3-year cap, simulation disabled.
- FreeCAD Fully open source β no license games. Rougher UI but maturing fast.
Subject 05 Β· Innovation
Innovation projects
Process frameworks for taking a real problem from sketch to shipped. Stanford d.school for the method, IDEO for the workbook, real-world precedents to model after.
Explorer Β· elementary to middle school
- Stanford d.school β K-12 resources Method cards (How Might We, Crazy 8s, "I like / I wish / What if") adapted for K-12.
- IDEO Design Thinking for Educators Teacher-facing companion to d.school. 94-page Designer’s Workbook. Free PDF, no signup.
- Arduino Project Hub β beginner tags A library of mini-projects to remix when stuck for an idea.
Builder Β· middle to high school
- MIT App Inventor + AI extensions Ship a real Android app this weekend. CC-licensed, MIT-maintained, 20M+ users.
- e-NABLE community Volunteer network designing 3D-printed prosthetics. Real-world precedent for student innovation projects.
- BirdNET-Pi Citizen-science precedent: a complete Raspberry Pi project for bird identification using Cornell’s BirdNET model.
Subject 06 Β· Creative
Creative skills
Video editing, audio, graphic design — the storytelling layer that takes a finished project to a real audience.
We’re still curating ARYF’s recommended photo + video editing picks. In the meantime, here are tools we trust that have genuinely free tiers.
Explorer Β· elementary to middle school
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