About Camp DIALOGS

FREE 2-week summer camp for rising 7th & 8th graders

Funded by the National Science Foundation

Fostering Computer Science and AI Learning through Youth-Led Conversational App Development Experiences

  • Build conversational apps like Siri and Alexa
  • No Experience Needed
  • Make new friends
  • Take home a Google Home device
    • Learn More Watch Video
Summer 2023 Dates Coming Soon

Camp Location

GNV Bridge Community Center (Former Boys & Girls Club)

GNV Bridge Community Center (Former Boys & Girls Club)

1100 SE 17 Dr, Gainesville, 32641

Activities

HANDS-ON LEARNING

Learn about AI and build your own conversational app: an app that you can talk to, like Siri and Alexa

AI UNPLUGGED

Play games and use teamwork to see how computer science and AI concepts work, beyond the computer screen

CAREER EVENTS

Learn from diverse scientists and engineers about career opportunities in computer science and AI.

activity 3

JUST FOR FUN

Every day includes time for board games, basketball and other just-for-fun activities.

Facilitators

Our mentors are UF students and faculty members dedicated to providing equal learning opportunities for middle school students.

Gloria Katuka

PhD student
Computer Science

Xiaoyi Tian

PhD student
Human-centered Computing

Timothy Brown

LearnDialogue Lab Coordinator
Computer Science

Yukyeong Song

PhD student
Educational Technology

Carly Solomon

Undergraduate student
Computer Science

Lydia Pezzullo

LearnDialogue Lab Coordinator
Computer Science

Sample Schedule

Early Drop-off

Campers join in on games and other activities as they arrive

Breakfast

Breakfast will be provided

AI Learning

Campers learn about Artificial Intelligence through hands-on activities, guided by our mentors

Lunch

Lunch will be provided

Individual Projects

Campers will work on their own conversational apps - an app that you can talk to, like Siri and Alexa

Testing and Debugging

Camper will get feedback from mentors as they test their apps

Wind down time

Games and activities to wind down, socialize and wrap up the day

Camp day ends

Late pick-up is available until 5pm

Early Drop-off

Campers join in on games and other activities as they arrive

Breakfast

Breakfast will be provided

AI Learning

Campers learn about Artificial Intelligence through hands-on activities, guided by our mentors

Lunch

Lunch will be provided

Collaborative Learning

Campers will work together in pairs to develop a conversational apps

Testing and Debugging

Camper get feedback from mentors and as they test their apps

Wind down time

Games and activities to wind down, socialize and wrap up the day

Camp day ends

Late pick-up is available until 5pm

F.A.Qs

Camp DIALOGS is fully funded by the National Science Foundation (NSF), which allows us to hire paid staff and provide food, devices, and a high-quality program while making the camp 100% free of cost to families. Our NSF project is led by faculty from the University of Florida: Dr. Kristy Boyer (Computer & Information Science & Engineering) and Dr. Maya Israel (Teaching & Learning). The National Science Foundation is an independent U.S. government organization founded in 1950 that supports research and education in science and engineering. For more information about NSF, visit https://www.nsf.gov/about/

Application is free, just complete our online application form. The form can be found here.

Campers at Camp DIALOGS will learn about Artificial Intelligence through hands-on activities, culminating in a project where they will work with a partner to create their own spoken app. This means the user interacts with the app by speaking, much as you would interact with apps like Siri, Alexa, Cortana, or Google Assistant. With help from our trained facilitators, each camper will work with a partner to design and create their app using AI principles to speak and respond to a user. Past campers have created apps that recommended music in different genres, offered gaming tips, helped the user find fun activities in Gainesville, and more.

Camper spots are limited. Please apply using our application form and feel free to reach out to Timothy Brown (timothy.brown@ufl.edu) with any concerns.

No, campers will be provided with computers to use during the camp. They will also be provided with their own Google Home device.

Lunch, snacks, and necessary hardware/software will be provided, at no cost to families.

Whether a camper misses a day or just needs more time to work on an activity, “catch-up” time is provided at the start of each camp day. Camp staff will make sure campers stay on track and are able to continue to participate.

We will closely monitor and comply with local and national guidance regarding COVID-19 safety as the situation continues to unfold. All campers, counselors and staff will be required to wear a mask during indoor activities. Please contact Timothy Brown (timothy.brown@ufl.edu) for more information.

At Camp DIALOGS, campers learn about Artificial Intelligence by developing a conversational app: an app they can interact with by speaking to a device, rather than touching a screen. The Google Home device is a “smart speaker” through which the campers can interact with their app. However, the device is not required to use their app. The apps campers create can also be accessed through a web browser, or even by dialing on a telephone!