By Onward Fellowship Team ยท October 29, 2026
You have three Onward programs open in different tabs and one teen at the dinner table. They all run online, they all look good, and you are asking the same question many parents ask: which program fits my teen? This guide walks through each one from your side of the table, so you can decide calmly.
DIRECT ANSWER
AI School suits teens who want to build and ship a working AI product. Quantum Machine Learning suits teens curious about quantum computing who want to write real code. Advanced Leadership suits teens who want to practice leadership and governance. All three run online over three weekends.
All three are weekend programs for high school students, run online over three weekends.
AI School ends with a live AI product, a short demo video, and a written build log.
Quantum Machine Learning ends with a team quantum classifier that students build, train, and present.
The Advanced Leadership Program is a Student Leadership and Governance Council with simulations and debate.
Start from what your teen already enjoys doing, not from which topic sounds most impressive.
Here is a side by side view, with start dates read from our live program catalogue.
| Program | Best for | What your teen does | Format | Next start date | Grades |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| AI School | Teens who like making things | Builds a live AI product with a public URL | Online, three weekends | 14 November 2026 | See the program page |
| Quantum Machine Learning | Teens curious about math and how things work | Writes Python and PennyLane code to build a quantum classifier in a team | Online, three weekends | 14 November 2026 | Grades 8-12 |
| Advanced Leadership Program | Teens who want to lead | Works in a Student Leadership and Governance Council | Online, three weekends | 14 November 2026 | Grades 6-12 |
AI School is the best fit. It is an online AI program for teens who would rather make something real than watch another tutorial.
Over three weekends and six live build days, students go from a problem they care about to a live AI product with a public URL. They finish with that product, a short demo video, and a written build log. Along the way they use tools such as Lovable, Cursor, the Claude API, Perplexity, and NotebookLM. An API is simply a way for one piece of software to talk to another. The program is led by Harvard student mentors, and students receive a Certificate of Completion. If your teen wants to warm up first, our list of AI project ideas for high school students is a friendly place to start.
Example: A teen who spends weekends making small apps for friends, and wants to finally ship one that anyone can open from a link.
AI School
Next start date for AI School: 14 November 2026
Application deadline for AI School: 7 November 2026
Apply for AI School See the full program page
Quantum Machine Learning suits a curious, puzzle-loving teen. It is a quantum machine learning program for high school students that starts from the basics.
Quantum computing uses the rules of quantum physics to process information, and machine learning is how computers learn patterns from data. Over three weekends, students join six sessions of 90 minutes. They write real code in Python and PennyLane inside Google Colab, a free browser tool. Working in teams of 2 to 3, they build and train a quantum classifier, a program that sorts data into groups, and then present it. The program is taught by a Cambridge PhD scholar.
Example: A teen who enjoys math puzzles, has never written a line of code, and keeps asking how computers really work. The program page states that no prior quantum physics, machine learning, or coding experience is required, so that teen can start right where they are.
Quantum Machine Learning
Next start date for Quantum Machine Learning: 14 November 2026
Application deadline for Quantum Machine Learning: 7 November 2026
Apply for Quantum Machine Learning See the full program page
The Advanced Leadership Program is the natural choice. It is a leadership program for teens who want structured practice, not just a title.
It runs as a three-weekend online Student Leadership and Governance Council led by Harvard student mentors. Students take part in live interactive sessions, breakout simulations, and debate, and work on a digital council charter. Governance simply means how a group makes decisions and sets its rules. If leadership is a long-term interest, our Communication and leadership pathway shows how these skills build over time.
Example: A teen who already runs a club or captains a team, and wants a structured way to practice leading: running a discussion, building agreement, and putting decisions in writing.
Advanced Leadership Program
Next start date for Advanced Leadership Program: 14 November 2026
Apply for Advanced Leadership Program See the full program page
That is normal. Ask what they would happily do on a free Saturday, then use this guide.
If your teen says "I want to make an app people can use," choose AI School.
If your teen says "I like math and want to know how the next computers work," choose Quantum Machine Learning.
If your teen says "I want to run things and get people to agree," choose the Advanced Leadership Program.
Read the full program page together and check the schedule.
Use the Apply button in that program's box above to open the application.
Fill in the student and parent details, then continue to checkout, where the current fee is shown.
Each program gives your teen three focused weekends and something real to show at the end. Choose the one that matches what your teen already enjoys.
When you are ready, see all programs open now, or use the next-cohort boxes above. Questions? You can book a meeting.
Yes, each program has its own application. Cohorts that start on the same weekend also run on the same weekends, so check the schedules on each program page before choosing two.
The Quantum Machine Learning page states that no prior quantum physics, machine learning, or coding experience is required. For AI School and the Advanced Leadership Program, each program page describes what to expect, and you are welcome to book a meeting with questions.
AI School and the Advanced Leadership Program are led by Harvard student mentors. Quantum Machine Learning is taught by a Cambridge PhD scholar.
Quantum Machine Learning runs six sessions of 90 minutes over three weekends. For AI School and the Advanced Leadership Program, see the program page for session details.
The current Program Fee is shown on each program page and at checkout.
STEM & INNOVATION
Here are 10 AI project ideas high school students can build, the tools to use, and how to turn one into a portfolio piece for applications.
October 23, 2026
GIFTED IDENTIFICATION
WISC and CogAT measure different things. Learn what each test shows, who gives it, and what to ask before booking one for your child.
October 17, 2026
Thinking about ISEF? Learn how the fair works, how projects are judged, and how to start a first project as a high school student.
October 13, 2026