Who. I'm Travis Thomas, a tech and IT professional in Philadelphia. NextGen Tech Youth Foundation is the nonprofit I started. It is a registered 501(c)(3), and it is new.
What. Bot Catchers is a free 8-week program where Philly kids ages 9 to 11 learn to use AI by catching it being wrong. They ask a kid-safe helper named Nova, check every answer in two places that aren't AI, and keep score of every mistake they catch.
Why. Kids are already using AI, alone, and picking up bad habits. The goal is to get them checking it before those habits set.
Same helper the kids use. Nothing you type is saved.
What I'm looking for
- A community partner with space in Philadelphia
- Volunteers who work in tech, to help run sessions
- Sponsors for the first cohort: laptops, printing the Fact Book, snacks, certificates
- Advisors with youth-program or AI-safety experience
Let's talk
Built, not yet run. The home test with my own kids starts this fall. The first group cohort comes after that, with a partner. I'll report real numbers when there are some.