AI in ATL: TECH360 Atlanta Year One

The future of tech is not built in boardrooms. It is built in the moments when a young person discovers what they are capable of, finds a community that believes in them, and decides to stop waiting for an invitation. In Atlanta this year, 50 students stopped waiting. They showed up, built something real, and left with a vision of their future that no one can take from them.

In AOT's inaugural year in Atlanta, the TECH360 "Intro to AI" Program graduated 50 students across two cohorts, established a replicable recruitment model, and students engaged with technologists from JPMorgan Chase, Warner Bros. Discovery, Snowflake, and Grainger. Every program graduate left with foundational AI skills, a professional network they built themselves, and the kind of confidence that extends well beyond the classroom.

​A Program Built for Impact

Fall 2025 was the proof of concept. Spring 2026 was the proof of scale.
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• 50 graduates across 2 cohorts
• 16 high schools represented
• 100% of students would recommend the program to a friend

We launched our first Atlanta program in Fall 2025 wanting to build meaningful outcomes and greater interest for the TECH360 program. The results answered clearly.

Technical assessment scores jumped 47% from pre- to post-program. Every graduate reported high satisfaction with their experience and left with a working knowledge of generative AI including its applications, strengths, risks, and limitations.

Students did not just learn AI theories, they built with it. Teams developed AI-powered chatbots addressing real-world challenges, from sustainable living to travel planning.  Graduates then presented their work at Atlanta's Future Innovators Night, in front of community members, families, and corporate partners. For many, this was the first time on a stage of that kind.​

For the second cohort, the impact was even greater. Spring enrollment grew to 34 graduates. Technical assessment scores climbed to 66% (19 points higher than the first cohort). And graduates built a lasting professional network. 
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This second cohort also welcomed its first Peer Mentor, Christie, an AOT Miami graduate and Emory University junior studying Applied Mathematics and Neuroscience. Her presence in the classroom represented something important: proof that the program's impact compounds over time, and that AOT alumni return to invest in the students who come after them.

What Students Actually Walk Away With

In TECH360, technical skills and critical thinking aren't separate tracks; they're the same lesson. Students learn how generative AI works, how to evaluate its outputs, and how to wrestle with the ethical questions that come with using it. By graduation, they can articulate both the promise and the risk of a technology reshaping every industry they might enter.

They also leave with something harder to measure: a professional network built through real interaction with people already working in the field.
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Career Days brought students face-to-face with professionals from JPMorgan Chase and Warner Bros. Discovery. The "Life of a Technologist" immersive event at JPMorgan Chase brought students face-to-face with early-career technologists who shared their backgrounds, navigated similar paths, and were invested in holding the door open for the students who came after them.

Zarek, a 12th grader who came into the fall program drawn by the stipend, left with something he didn't expect. He connected with a JPMorgan Chase professional who turned out to share his Jamaican heritage. He built a relationship at Warner Bros. Discovery that stuck. And he still stays connected with those from his cohort, "Surprisingly, we talk to each other almost every day."

Aniyah, an 11th grader whose high school lacked STEM programming, left with a career path: Machine Learning Engineer. She also gained powerful and advice from a working professional she hasn't stopped thinking about. "Don't be a leap frog. Build skills. Learn from mentors. Grow into leadership. Hearing that from people who are actually doing the work gave me a new perspective on what it means to build a long-term career in tech.” 

Making Waves Across Atlanta

"Seeing students who were initially quieter become more engaged, collaborative, and excited to share their ideas was probably one of my favorite parts."
Christie, Atlanta Peer Mentor and AOT Miami Graduate, studying Applied Mathematics and Neuroscience at Emory University

"This isn't just an after-school program to pass time; it truly feels like a preparation space for real life." 
Mariah, 11th Grade, Spring Cohort Graduate

"Not only am I more confident in my technological abilities, but I have fundamental knowledge of artificial intelligence concepts and how this innovative technology is transforming our world."
Lillian, 10th Grade, Spring Cohort Graduate

Year One Was Just the Beginning

This program is made possible through the support of national and local funders committed to expanding access to high-quality technology education. Funders of the Atlanta TECH360 program include Citi Foundation, Comcast NBCUniversal, JPMorgan Chase Foundation, New Profit, Salesforce, and Warner Bros. Discovery.
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Year two starts now.

Be Part of What Comes Next

Students & Families
Applications are open for the 2026–2027 Tech Flex Leaders program in NYC, LA, Miami, and Atlanta.
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Apply now →

Corporate Partners
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