Meet Aren: Build Your Own Personal AI Assistant

We open with the big picture. Students need to feel excited and capable before we touch a single line of code. This module is about vision and confidence — not technology.

• Lesson 1.1 - Welcome
  53s
• Lesson 1.2 A Day in the Life
  53s
• Lesson 1.3 - Tools
  2m38s
• Lesson 1.4 - Expectations
  1m37s
• Section 1 Knowledge Check - What You're Building & Why It Matters
• D2 - Course Roadmap

This is the most technical-feeling module, but we go step by step and celebrate every install. Students who complete Module 2 feel like they have already accomplished something real.

• Lesson 2.1 - Installing Python
  2m32s
• Lesson 2.2 - Installing VS Code
  1m55s
• Lesson 2.3 - Creating Your Project Folder & Virtual Environment
  2m55s
• Lesson 2.4 - Getting Your API Keys
  3m
• Section 2 Knowledge Check - Setting Up Your Environment
• D3 - Setup Checklist
• D4 -- Assistant.py

This is the payoff module. Students run Aren for the first time and get a response in Telegram. This moment needs to feel like a triumph.

• Lesson 3.1 - How Aren Works
  2m27s
• Lesson 3.2 - Setting Up Your Telegram Bot
  2m14s
• Lesson 3.3 - Running Aren for the First Time
  2m51s
• Lesson 3.4 - Your Daily Startup Routine
  2m52s
• Section 3 Knowledge Check - Building and Running Aren
• D5-How to Run Aren -- Quick Reference

Now we give Aren its first real superpowers. In this module, we connect Aren to your Google Calendar and Gmail. You will set up a Google Cloud project, create your credentials, run the authentication script, and test Aren with live calendar and email data. After this module, Aren knows your schedule and your inbox.

• Lesson 4.1 - Setting Up a Google Cloud Project
  2m34s
• Lesson 4.2 - Creating OAuth Credentials
  2m52s
• Lesson 4.3 - Running the Authentication Script
  3m25s
• Lesson 4.4 - Connecting Google to Aren
  3m14s
• Section 4 Knowledge Check - Google — Calendar & Gmail
• D6 - Google Setup Workbook
• D7 — google_auth.py — Authentication Script (.py)

The second major Google integration. Students extend the credential setup they completed in Module 4, add Drive access, and teach Aren to find, read, and create files inside their chosen folders. Because Drive uses the same OAuth system as Calendar and Gmail, the pattern will feel familiar.

• Lesson 5.1 - Google Drive Setup
  3m29s
• Lesson 5.2 - Finding Your Folder IDs
  2m38s
• Lesson 5.3 - Building Your Drive Tools
  2m46s
• Lesson 5.4 - The Final Version of Aren
  3m10s
• Section 5 Knowledge Check - Connecting Google Drive
• D8 — Assistant.py — Google Edition (.py)
• D9 - Google Drive Setup Workbook
• D10 — drive_tools.py — Drive Tool Library (.py)
• D11 — Assistant.py — Final Version (.py)

The graduation module. We send students off with the skills to use Aren confidently and the knowledge to fix common problems themselves.

• Lesson 6.1 - The Best Prompts for Every Situation
  2m59s
• Lesson 6.2 - Troubleshooting Common Errors
  3m17s
• Lesson 6.3 - Keeping Your Keys Safe
  2m49s
• Lesson 6.4 - What's Next — Ideas for Expanding Aren
  2m54s
• Section 6 Knowledge Check - Living With Aren — Daily Use & Troubleshooting
• D12 - Best Prompts Cheat Sheet
• D13 - Troubleshooting Quick Reference
• D14 - Expanding Aren Guide

Your one-stop hub for everything in this course. Every download, every quiz link, your completion certificate, and a short thank-you video — all in one place. Return here anytime.

• Mod 7 - Final Items
  2m33s
• D2 — Course Overview — Full Roadmap
• D3 — Setup Checklist
• D4 — Assistant.py — Base Version (.py)
• D5 — How to Run Aren — Quick Reference Card
• D6 — Google Setup Workbook — Calendar & Gmail
• D7 — google_auth.py — Authentication Script (.py)
• D8 — Assistant.py — Google Edition (.py)
• D9 — Google Drive Setup Workbook
• D10 — drive_tools.py — Drive Tool Library (.py)
• D11 — Assistant.py — Final Version (.py)
• D12 — Best Prompts Cheat Sheet
• D13 — Troubleshooting Quick-Reference Card
• D14 — Expanding Aren — Ideas & Patterns Guide