LevelUp Young Leaders · Live Cohorts
Live online courses for kids 8–18: compare the four cohorts
LevelUp Young Leaders runs four live online cohorts for ages 8–18, in groups of up to 10. Each one is taught by people who do the work for a living and ends with a graded Final Review before an industry panel.
- Ages 8–18 · 6 weeksPublic Speaking, Communication & LeadershipFrom freezing up to holding the room.See the cohort
- Ages 11–18 · 5 weeksAI FilmmakingTheir first film, written, shot and cut by them.See the cohort
- Ages 8–11 · 8 weeksCreative Thinking & StorytellingA finished book with their name on the cover.See the cohort
- Ages 12–18 · 8 weeksAI Product BuildingFrom a real problem to a working app.See the cohort
How the four cohorts compare
Ages, length, group size, format, what your child makes, who teaches and how AI is used, side by side.
| Public Speaking, Communication & Leadership | AI Filmmaking | Creative Thinking & Storytelling | AI Product Building | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Ages | 8–18, in age groups 8–11, 12–14 and 15–18, never mixed | 11–18, in 11–13 and 14–18 pods | 8–11 | 12–18 |
| Length | 6 weeks | 5 weeks | 8 weeks | 8 weeks |
| Group size | Up to 10 children in a group. | Up to 10 children in a group. | Up to 10 children in a group. | Up to 10 children in a group. |
| Format | Live online. Two live sessions each weekend, plus 10 minutes of practice a day. Each live session runs 60–120 minutes. | Live online. Weekend live sessions, plus shooting and editing at home. Each live session runs 60–120 minutes. | Live online. Weekend live sessions, with one week spent collecting family stories. Each live session runs 60–120 minutes. | Live online. Weekend sessions, plus a Wednesday build lab. Each live session runs 60–120 minutes. |
| What your child makes | A talk delivered live to the panel, filmed and edited, plus a before-and-after reel. | A 60–90 second film they wrote, shot and edited, a poster and an AI-disclosure card. | 8–12 illustrated pages with their name on the cover, and an author trailer. | A working AI web app on a private link, a 2-minute demo video and a 3-minute pitch. |
| Taught by | A specialist speech or debate coach with 10+ years of experience. | Industry-grade filmmakers who use AI tools in their own work. | A children's illustrator or author. | A product engineer or founder who has shipped AI products. |
| AI use | Barely uses AI. No AI analysis of children's voices. | Children write the prompts; a teaching assistant runs them on a LevelUp account and checks the output first. No child's face, voice or photo goes into a generative tool. | Faculty show on screen how AI can help with sketching. No child has an AI account. | 12-year-olds watch staff demonstrations only; 13 and up use parent-linked accounts where the tool allows. |
| First batch | Late December 2026 | January–February 2027 | February 2027 | January–February 2027. Runs once 12 families join the wait-list. |
On a phone, swipe the table sideways to see all four.
What every cohort includes
- Faculty who do this for a livingWorking professionals, background-verified.
- One-to-one mentorshipTime with a mentor, alongside the group sessions.
- A counsellor for the familyAn in-house LevelUp counsellor every family can talk to.
- A graded Final ReviewFinished work, shown live to an industry panel and graded.
Not sure which fits? Start with the free Strengths Profile
Thirty minutes at home for ages 8–18: five ability scores against children the same age, then a one-to-one session with a LevelUp counsellor on which cohort fits, if any. Not an IQ test.