Young-students-showcasing-their-innovative-AI-project-with-excitement-and-modern-classroom

AI Authors

Finding Inspiration in Every Word

Unleash your creativity and become a published author with a tech twist! AI Authors is your chance to turn your ideas into a digital masterpiece using the latest AI tools. Whether you dream of writing a graphic novel, an epic adventure, a picture book, or even recording your own audiobook, this camp gives you the skills, mentorship, and platform to make it happen all summer long. This year, we are taking AI Authors to the next level. Students will experience the entire professional publishing pipeline from concept and character development, to AI-assisted writing and illustration, to book cover design, to digital publishing, to real-world marketing all while earning nationally recognized certificates.

🧠 Hands-On AI-Assisted Book Creation

Learn how to use artificial intelligence as a creative partner. Students will use AI to brainstorm story ideas, develop complex characters, write and refine their manuscript, generate original illustrations, and design professional-quality book covers. Every book is the student's original vision AI is the tool, not the author.

🎨 Canva Storyboarding & Book Design

Full Summer Pro campers will complete the guided "Create a Storyboard Using Canva" Coursera course, earning a verified certificate. All campers including Explorer 2-Week students get hands-on Canva design lessons to build storyboards, layouts, covers, and promotional graphics for their books.

📖 Publish & Share (Multiple Publishing Paths)

Students can choose how they want to publish their finished book:

NextGen AI Authors Digital Library — Every completed book is published to the TTC digital library, included with membership. Families, friends, and fans can read and leave reviews.
YouTube Digital Storybook — Animated or narrated book trailer featured on the NextGen AI Authors YouTube Channel
AI-Powered Audiobook — Students can convert their book into a full audiobook using AI voice tools
Amazon KDP Publishing — (Optional take-home parent project see "About Publishing" section below)

🏆 Best Story Award — Win a Printed Copy

At the Formal Awards Ceremony, the winner of the Best Story Award will receive a professionally printed paperback copy of their own book a physical, hold-in-your-hands version of their finished project. Other students will receive their book as a beautifully formatted digital edition included with their membership. Additional printed copies can be purchased by families at cost.

🍽️ Class Group Business Concept — Café Book

AI Authors campers collaborate on Café Book a unique dining experience where students work with a professional chef to bring their books (or a well-known book) to life through food. Students build the Café Book brand, website, and marketing campaign, then pitch the service as a pop-up kitchen business that can be booked for birthday parties and private events. The company comes to the customer's home and creates book-inspired food, and guests receive a printed copy of the book along with their meal with an option to have the book read aloud during dining. Students demonstrate and launch Café Book at the Networking Event.

🎬 Book Showcase, YouTube Channel & Film Fridays

Every student's finished book will be featured on the NextGen AI Authors YouTube Channel where friends, family, and fans can leave reviews. Throughout the summer, AI Authors campers can participate in Film Fridays pizza-and-movie nights where animated book trailers, AI-generated adaptations, and mini-movie versions of student books are screened on the big screen ($5 per student; all proceeds go to student marketing campaigns).

🤝 Collaborative & Supportive

Share ideas, get feedback, build stories together, and level up your storytelling in a creative, judgment-free environment where every student's imagination is valued and every finished book is celebrated.

📚 About Publishing on Amazon KDP — IMPORTANT for Parents

Tech Time Cincinnati wants to be fully transparent about Amazon Kindle Direct Publishing (KDP). Here are the facts:

Amazon KDP requires account holders to be at least 18 years old. Students under 18 cannot create or hold a KDP account themselves. However, KDP's own Terms and Conditions specifically state that "a parent or guardian of a minor can open a KDP account and be the Publisher of the minor's Book."

What this means for AI Authors students:

✅ In-camp: Every student will finish a complete, publication-ready digital book by the end of the program. The book is fully theirs they own the copyright to their original work.
✅ Digital Publishing (Included): All student books are published to the TTC NextGen AI Digital Library at no extra cost, so every family can read and share.
✅ Amazon KDP Publishing (Optional Take-Home Parent Project): Families who want to take the next step can publish their student's book on Amazon KDP after camp. The parent or legal guardian creates and manages the KDP account as the "Publisher" while the student's name appears as the "Author." TTC will provide a step-by-step parent guide to the KDP setup process as part of the camp curriculum.
✅ Best Story Award Winner: Receives a professionally printed paperback copy of their own book at the Awards Ceremony.
✅ Additional Printed Copies: Families who want printed copies of their student's book can purchase them at cost through TTC or directly through their own KDP account.

Why we do it this way: Amazon's policy is not something TTC can override, and creating KDP accounts in students' names would violate KDP's Terms of Service and could result in account termination. By giving parents the option to publish as the student's "Publisher of Record" exactly as KDP's terms allow we stay 100% compliant while still giving students the option to become real, published authors on one of the world's largest book marketplaces.

📅 AI Authors Camp Logistics

Camp Location: TTCF Education Building | 230 Northland Blvd, Suite 127, Springdale, OH 45246 Phone: 513-443-5144 Check to see if your school building is listed as a host location for the summer, or call our office for availability.

Schedule: Dates: June 3 – August 7 (10 weeks)

Pro Full Day (Middle School, Ages 13–15): Mon–Thurs, 9:00 AM – 3:00 PM (Extended day 1–3 PM included)
Pro Half Day (High School, Ages 16–18): Mon–Wed, 9:00 AM – 1:00 PM
Extended Day: Available for Pro Half Day at $75/occurrence (pre-arranged, up to 3 PM)
Explorer 2-Week: Mon–Wed, 9:00 AM – 1:00 PM (selected 2-week sessions)

🎖️ Certificates & Credentials AI Authors Students Can Earn

📜 Coursera: Create a Storyboard Using Canva
📜 Coursera: Google Digital Marketing & E-Commerce Professional Certificate (ACE-recommended: 9 college credits)
📜 Coursera: Shopify Essential Training Certificate (HS Pro Half Day)
📜 Coursera: Wharton Business Foundations Capstone Certificate (HS Pro Half Day only)
📜 TTC AI Authors Certificate of Completion

🎉 NextGen AI Summer Membership

Unlock a summer of innovation, creativity, and hands-on tech learning with the NextGen AI Summer Membership! Skip the upfront cost spread your payments evenly across three months or pay weekly/bi-weekly. Registration is fast, simple, and locks in your spot for the entire summer.

Membership Benefits:

🎯 Guaranteed placement in your chosen NextGen AI camp track
⭐ Priority access to special events, guest speakers, and high-yield business grant competitions
🤝 Supportive environment for building friendships and tech skills alongside like-minded peers
💳 Simplified registration and payment for busy families
📚 Access to the password-protected Members-Only Webpage
🎬 Included access to Free Fridays and discounted Film Fridays
🎟️ Discounted or free guest passes for the Networking Event, FAD, and Awards Ceremony

📝 How to Enroll

Visit techtimecincinnati.net → Summer Camps tab
Select your interest camp and view the program details.
Click the "View Details" button
Select your membership tier: Pro Full Day, Pro Half Day, or Explorer 2-Week
Complete checkout payments
Complete the Youth Registration Form online under the Youth Registration tab within 24 hours to secure your spot

💡 QUICK TIPS

✅ All NextGen AI camps are for students currently ages 13–18
✅ Full/Half Summer Pro campers are eligible for our high-yield business grants awarded at the Formal Awards Ceremony
✅ Students may apply for a scholarship online or in person to reduce program cost
✅ Under-18 students: Amazon KDP publishing requires a parent/guardian to create and manage the KDP account. TTC will provide a parent guide.
✅ Best Story Award winner receives a professionally printed paperback of their book.
✅ Call us at 513-443-5144 for scholarship questions, school partnership inquiries, or to check if your school is a summer host location.