Education · AI Literacy
Your AI Head Start Starts Here
Learn how to use Claude AI before most adults do — and show up to college and your first job already ahead.
Why High Schoolers Should Care
AI is already in the workplace
Companies are hiring people who know how to use it — not just people who know about it.
Free to learn now
Anthropic Academy courses are free and self-paced. No experience needed to start.
Certificates you can put on a resume
Earn real credentials before graduation and stand out on college and internship applications.
What is Claude?
Claude is an AI assistant made by a company called Anthropic. Think of it like a super-powered study partner that can write, research, code, analyze documents, and help you solve hard problems — without making things up as much as other AI tools.
It's used by professionals at major companies, but anyone can start for free at claude.ai — no coding required.
Unlike a search engine, Claude has a conversation with you. The better you get at asking it questions (called "prompting"), the more useful it becomes.
The 5-Phase Curriculum
Expand each phase to see what you'll learn, which courses to take, and your capstone project.
Pick Your Track
Choose the path that fits your goals — highlighted phases below match your selection.
What you'll learn
- How to have a real conversation with Claude and get useful answers
- What AI can and can't do — so you don't rely on it for the wrong things
- How to write better prompts (the instructions you give Claude) to get better results
Courses to take (all free)
Certificates you can earn
Capstone project
Use Claude to build something you actually need — a study guide for a hard class, a plan for a school project, or a draft college essay outline. Write one page about what worked and what didn't.
Ongoing Habits
Do these every month, no matter what phase you're in:
- ✓Check Anthropic's announcements at anthropic.com/news — AI moves fast, staying current is a skill
- ✓Keep a prompt journal — write down prompts that worked well and why, so you build your own playbook
- ✓Join the Anthropic community to see how other people are using Claude in creative ways
- ✓Try a Claude hackathon when you're ready — they're a great way to practice under pressure and meet other builders
- ✓Subscribe to the AI Fluency newsletter at anthropic.com/learn
Certificates & What to Do With Them
All courses are at anthropic.skilljar.com ↗
Claude 101
proves you understand the basics
AI Fluency
shows you understand AI's role in society and work
Cowork Introduction
shows you can use Claude on real tasks
Anthropic API
proves you can build with Claude's developer tools
MCP Intro & Advanced
shows you understand how AI connects to the real world
Claude Code
proves you can use AI to write and manage code
Agent Skills
shows you can create reusable AI workflows
What to do with them
- Add to your LinkedIn profile (yes, make one before senior year)
- List under "Certifications" on your college resume
- Mention them in college essays or interview answers
- Use them as conversation starters with internship recruiters
For Teachers
Want to bring this into your classroom? Here's how.
Semester Plan
Phases 1–2 fit neatly into a single semester as a supplementary unit or elective module.
Full-Year Plan
All 5 phases work as a standalone AI literacy course or career/tech elective.
Classroom Ideas
- Use Phase 1 capstones as a writing + reflection assignment
- Use Phase 2 Projects feature for group research projects
- Phase 3 evals teach critical thinking and scientific method
- Phase 4–5 pair well with CS, engineering, or business classes
Resource Hub
Start Here ↗
Create a free Claude account
All Courses ↗
Anthropic Skilljar course catalog
Anthropic Academy ↗
Learning hub and resources
Developer Docs ↗
Technical documentation
Prompt Engineering Guide ↗
Official prompting best practices
Anthropic Cookbook ↗
Code examples and recipes
AI Fluency Newsletter ↗
Stay current on AI literacy
MHG Strategy ↗
Digital transformation & AI operations