Back to For funders Bot Catchers Sponsor Packet, 4 pages, US Letter

A program of NextGen Tech Youth Foundation

Bot CatchersSponsor Packet

An 8-session program where Philadelphia kids ages 9 to 11 learn to use AI by trying to catch it being wrong. Free to every family.

Level 1Ages 9 to 118 sessionsPhiladelphiaFree to families

Bot Catchers will be at AfroTech, November 2 to 6, 2026. Come see Nova, the AI helper kids learn to check, and try to catch it yourself.

Travis Thomas Founder and Executive Director
tthomas@nextgentyf.org  |  (215) 783-3739
nextgentyf.org/funders
Registered 501(c)(3)
Philadelphia, PA
October 2026
NextGen Tech
Youth Foundation
Page 2 of 4  |  The program
The program in one page

Kids learn AI by catching it being wrong.

Every kids' AI product has the AI grading the kid. Bot Catchers flips it: the kid grades the AI. Kids love catching a computer in a mistake, so the thing they want to do, catch it, is the thing they need to learn, check it.

How a Catch works

Under every answer sits the Truth Meter: Correct, Partly right, Not sure yet, Wrong. To call it Wrong, a kid uses the Two Source Rule: check in two places that are not AI. A book, a trusted website, or a grown-up who knows. Wrong plus two sources equals a Catch. Every Catch goes in the kid's Catch Log, and the cohort keeps a total. Nobody loses points.

Nova, and the four checks

The AI helper is named Nova, built on Claude. It is friendly, helpful, and honest that it might be wrong. Every question runs through four checks before a kid sees an answer:

  1. Privacy check on the kid's own device. Private info is never sent and never saved.
  2. Question screen before it is answered.
  3. Answer with kid rules written for 9 to 11 year olds.
  4. Answer screen before the kid sees it.

A grown-up is nearby for every session. Daily question cap. No browsing, no photo uploads, no chatting with other people. Parents see everything.

The Philly Kids' Fact Book

A printed zine of facts about Philadelphia, each one checked by a kid, with the kid's first name on it. It launches at Demo Day. Copies go to families, partners, and sponsors.

The 8 sessions

About an hour each. Every session runs five steps: Think, Ask Nova, Verify, Build, Explain.

  • 1Meet Nova
  • 2First Catch
  • 3Better Questions
  • 4Helper, Not the Boss
  • 5Does Nova Know Philly? (the signature week)
  • 6Spot the Tricks
  • 7Build Week
  • 8Demo Day

What kids leave with

A finished project they can explain, their pages in the Fact Book, a Catch Log, and a certificate that says Certified Bot Catcher, Level 1.

Where it stands: built, not yet run. The curriculum, the Sandbox, and Nova are built. Home test with the founder's own kids this fall. First group cohort after that, with a community partner. No results yet. We only report real numbers.
Bot Catchers Sponsor Packetnextgentyf.org/bot-catchers
NextGen Tech
Youth Foundation
Page 3 of 4  |  The budget
What your money does

Here is where the money goes.

We're finalizing the first-cohort budget and will publish it on the funders page.

What a gift pays for

Refurbished laptopsThey stay with the program, so later cohorts cost less
Printed Fact Books and mission sheetsA Fact Book for every kid, plus weekly missions
SnacksKids come hungry
Certificates and Demo DayLevel 1 certificates and the family event
Instructor stipendsEight sessions plus prep and Demo Day
Space and insuranceRoom costs and event insurance

What we will measure, and send you

Results get published on nextgentyf.org after the first cohort, whatever they are.

Bot Catchers Sponsor PacketEstimates. Real costs reported after the cohort.
NextGen Tech
Youth Foundation
Page 4 of 4  |  Sponsor
Sponsorship tiers

Four levels, and every one gets a plain report.

TierPer yearBenefits
Bronze$1,000
  • Your logo on our website
  • A thank-you post on our social media
  • Tax receipt and a summary of what your money paid for
Silver$5,000
  • All Bronze benefits
  • A speaking slot at program events
  • A feature in our newsletter
  • Volunteer days for your employees
Gold$10,000
  • All Silver benefits
  • Option to put your name on a program
  • First look at graduates when you are hiring
  • Quarterly report with your logo on it
Platinum$25,000+
  • All Gold benefits
  • Board advisory seat
  • Co-branded classes and events
  • Direct access to all graduates when you are hiring
  • A yearly briefing with our leadership

What sponsors get in the first year

Your logoOn the site and on the back cover of the Philly Kids' Fact Book.
A report with real numbersWhat the cohort did, what it cost, what we measured.
An invitation to Demo DayWatch the kids present and hear the Catch total read out.

Reply form

Fill this in and email a photo of it, or just send the same details in an email.

Name
Company
Email
Phone
Tier: BronzeSilverGoldPlatinumOther, let's talk

Send to tthomas@nextgentyf.org or call (215) 783-3739. Travis Thomas, Founder and Executive Director, NextGen Tech Youth Foundation, Inc., Philadelphia, PA. Registered 501(c)(3). Sponsorships are tax-deductible to the extent the law allows.

Bot Catchers Sponsor Packettthomas@nextgentyf.org  |  (215) 783-3739