Join Hour of AI during CS Ed Week 2025—get lessons and resources from Microsoft Education to spark curiosity and create AI learning experiences.
For decades, education has focused on equipping students with knowledge and skills for a predictable future: college, careers, and a relatively stable set of expectations. But today, that future is being rewritten in real time through human innovation with AI. Students are stepping into a new world of work that’s not just different—it’s unprecedented.
Microsoft is committed to ensuring that as AI innovation transforms our world, we’re equipping people with the skills, knowledge, and tools to thrive with AI. That’s why we partnered with CSforALL and a coalition of organizations including Code.org to bring educators, students, and communities around the world a new kind of learning experience: Hour of AI. Building on the momentum of Hour of Code and Computer Science (CS) Education Week, Hour of AI is designed to spark curiosity, build foundational skills, and empower 25 million learners of all ages to take their first step into understanding and creating with AI.1
What is Hour of AI?
Hour of AI is a global initiative designed to make AI literacy accessible, inclusive, and fun. With just one class and no prior experience, educators can engage learners of all ages with interactive activities and guided exploration to understand how AI works and how it’s shaping the world around us.
With age-appropriate activities for learners at all levels, Hour of AI helps meet educators and students where they are on their own AI learning journeys. Whether you’re a classroom teacher, leading a school district, running an education nonprofit, or simply a parent or caregiver at home who wants to help your student engage with AI, there are ways for you to participate in Hour of AI.
Explore three new Hour of AI activities from Microsoft
From surviving the night with the help of an AI agent in Minecraft to coding and competing in Microsoft MakeCode, students can explore AI through familiar games and apps. Download free resources to help facilitate an Hour of AI in your classroom, school, or community and unlock AI education for all your students.
Minecraft Hour of AI: The First Night
The new activity from Minecraft Education, Hour of AI: The First Night, challenges students to survive their first night in Minecraft, but with an AI twist! They’ll gather resources and build shelter before sunset with the help of AI agents, discovering how algorithms work and tackling problem-solving challenges through guided prompts that connect gameplay to real AI concepts. The First Night activity is available as a free demo in 29 languages, with classroom-ready lesson plans and educator materials.
Access step-by-step facilitator training to plan and deliver a Minecraft Hour of AI lesson and connect to AI literacy and computer science standards.
Bug Arena from MakeCode
Bug Arena from MakeCode is a free, game-based tutorial that introduces foundational AI concepts through coding and competition, where students design algorithms for their own Bug and send it into battle against other AI-powered bugs. They’ll write simple code to control movement and strategy, discovering how AI works through hands-on problem-solving, and experimenting to improve their Bug’s performance in real time. Bug Arena is a free, web-based activity, easy to run in any classroom for grades 3–8.
Slither Slam from Visual Studio Code for Education
Slither Slam from Visual Studio (VS) Code for Education is a free, game-based lesson designed for high school learners (grades 9–12). The activity gets students coding with AI prompts by using natural language to generate code for a classic Snake game and then competing against other AI snakes in the arena. This hands-on, engaging format helps students learn AI-assisted code generation, experiment with prompts to see how AI interprets instructions, and build confidence in both coding and understanding AI’s role in development.
Download and get setup with the Slither Slam resources available for educators.
Sharpen your AI skills year-round
Supporting Hour of AI is just one way Microsoft is working to expand access to AI skills for students and educators worldwide. Through Microsoft Elevate, we offer year-round programs and resources designed to help teachers in every country and classroom confidently bring AI into their teaching—empowering educators to focus on what matters most: student success. Learn more about programs for educators and schools and get started with these resources:
- Microsoft Innovative Educator Expert (MIEE) Program: Join a global community of educators leading innovation with Microsoft tools and AI integration.
- Microsoft Showcase Schools Program: Collaborate with pioneering schools worldwide to transform learning.
- AI Skills for Educators: Access free resources and training to build AI literacy and integrate AI responsibly into your teaching.
Let’s make AI learning accessible, exciting, and empowering—one hour at a time. Join us for Hour of AI and CS Education Week 2025 and help shape the future of learning.
