Volunteer Coding & AI Mentor for Middle Schoolers

Organization: Metro East Code Collective Sponsored by SIP Arts Foundation

Location:Metor East Illinois

Type: Volunteer, part-time, in-person

Metro East Code Collective is a free program that teaches kids ages 11-14 in East St. Louis how to code and understand how AI actually works. We run six Saturday morning sessions this fall, and we’re building a small team of volunteers to help make it happen.

Volunteers work directly with kids during sessions, helping them build real projects in Scratch, train their own AI models, and learn to use these tools thoughtfully. You won’t be teaching solo. You’ll be supporting students one-on-one and in small groups alongside our team.

What you’ll do:

• Help kids work through hands-on coding and AI activities during Saturday sessions

• Support students one-on-one when they get stuck

• Be a positive, encouraging presence for young learners

Time commitment:

• Six Saturday mornings this fall (roughly two hours each)

• A few short planning meetings over the summer to learn the curriculum

What we’re looking for:

• Comfort using a computer (no coding or teaching background required)

• Patience and enthusiasm for working with middle schoolers

• Reliability across the six-week program

Who this is great for: High school and college students interested in tech, education, or mentoring, and adults who want to give back to local youth. If you care about making tech education accessible to kids who don’t usually get it, we’d love to have you.