📅 QAMP Journal Entry: Four Weeks of 'Quantum Curriculum for All


Date: November 9, 2025

The past four weeks of the Qiskit Advocate QMAP Project (QAMP) have been incredibly productive! It’s been a rewarding experience to lead and mentor the "Quantum Curriculum for All" project. Our mission is to make quantum concepts accessible at every learning level, and the structure we've implemented is truly showing results.

Tiered Curriculum: A Team-Led Approach

Our curriculum is built on a 4-tier framework, ensuring integrated concepts and complexity from introductory to advanced levels. I am immensely proud of the leadership displayed by the mentees who have taken ownership of their respective tiers:

  • Tier 1 (Lead: Nathane): Focusing on foundational concepts, aligning with the learning level of Grade 6-8 students (e.g., introducing the qubit and superposition in a context appropriate for their existing math and science knowledge).

  • Tier 2 (Lead: Mig): Building on the basics and introducing fundamental quantum gates and circuits.

  • Tier 3 (Lead: Lee): Moving toward intermediate concepts and initial applications.

  • Tier 4 (Lead: Noor/Mentor): My personal niche, focusing on advanced applications and research-adjacent topics—specifically Quantum Cryptography.

My Focus: Tier 4 - Quantum Cryptography

In alignment with my chosen specialization for the QPoland Hackathon and my background research, I have been dedicating my time to developing the Tier 4 curriculum on Quantum Cryptography.

Over the last four weeks, I have developed the content outline, including:

  • Foundational Concepts: An advanced look at the math and physics underpinning post-quantum cryptography (like lattice-based methods) and quantum key distribution (QKD).

  • Algorithms Covered: Deep dives into algorithms like Shor's and Grover's, and their implications for current encryption standards.

  • Practical Implementation: Integrating Qiskit applications for simulating QKD protocols (like BB84), which ties into my own experience building Python functions for quantum research.

Achievements of the First Four Weeks

The structure for my four-week curriculum plan for Tier 4 now includes:

  1. Week 1: Introduction to the Cryptographic Threat Landscape and Quantum Primitives.

  2. Week 2: Understanding Quantum Key Distribution (QKD) - Theory and Protocols (BB84, E91).

  3. Week 3: Simulating QKD using Qiskit and exploring Quantum Noise Mitigation as it applies to communication channels.

  4. Week 4: Post-Quantum Cryptography (PQC) – The shift to classical algorithms resilient to quantum attacks.

Stories and Frameworks

A key part of making quantum accessible is creating compelling narratives and solid instructional design. I’ve focused on creating:

  • Conceptual Stories: Using narratives to explain complex ideas (like describing the security of QKD as the "unbreakable law" of physics, where any eavesdropping is immediately measurable, similar to how the No-Cloning Theorem prevents perfect theft).

  • The Frameworks: Developing standardized templates for lesson plans, activity guides, and assessment rubrics that the other Tier leads can adapt for their specific content.

Team Momentum

While I focus on Tier 4, the contributions from the rest of the team are remarkable:

  • Nathane (Tier 1) is doing an excellent job ensuring the concepts are relatable and age-appropriate, which is crucial for the "Quantum for All" ethos.

  • Mig (Tier 2) is making great progress structuring the first interactive Qiskit lessons.

  • Lee (Tier 3) is setting up the framework for intermediate problem-solving exercises.

It's been inspiring to see this project come together collaboratively. We are building a truly comprehensive resource!



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