The academy is based on the world-renowned Beauty and Joy of Computing (BJC) curriculum, the same introductory computer science course taken by UC Berkeley undergraduates, and includes an introduction to Artificial Intelligence.
The Berkeley Summer Computer Science Academy is a rigorous two-week residential program designed for motivated high school students aged 16-17 interested in computer science and artificial intelligence. The curriculum is based on UC Berkeley's introductory computer science course, "The Beauty and Joy of Computing" (BJC), developed by Professor Dan Garcia. Students will immerse themselves in coding, collaborative programming, and problem-solving using Snap!, a blocks-based visual programming language. The program covers fundamental computer science topics such as abstraction, functions, number representation, Boolean logic, algorithms, and the social implications of computing. New for 2026, the academy also introduces Artificial Intelligence fundamentals, including Supervised Machine Learning, Reinforcement Learning, Generative AI, and the Ethics of AI. The program culminates in a "Code Celebration" where students present their individual or group coding projects to UC Berkeley Computer Science faculty and instructors, gaining valuable feedback and insights. Participants will also engage in college preparation workshops and interact with undergraduate Resident Assistants and Mentors, providing a preview of college life at a top-tier university.
A typical day includes classroom instruction, workshops, and activities both on campus and in the surrounding San Francisco Bay Area. Students engage in daily coding challenges and work on individual and group projects.
This program is ideal for motivated high school students aged 16-17 with little to no prior coding experience who are interested in computer science or artificial intelligence and wish to experience college-level student life.
UC Berkeley Campus
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