Unplugged Computer Science Fair Recap November 5th
Submitted by Ana Davis on Tue, 11/08/2022 - 2:05pm
Thank you to everyone who helped organize the CSTA Mid-Hudson Valley and OpenHub Computer Science Day on November 5th! Almost 300 people participated in our day of fun and educational coding/computer science events. 16 tables with different unplugged activities, coding books and prizes were run by amazing Hudson Valley teachers from FDR, Kingston John, Jay Beacon, RCK, and Ulster Boces schools.
Around 50 passionate high school students came to engage young children and their parents in the following events:
- Treasure hunts
- Rubix cube algorithms
- Using beads and string to create a message on a necklace by using binary numbers that correspond to ASCII values
- Robot drawing
- Water piano
- Sorting games
- Magic tricks demonstrations
- Building the Worlds’ largest Emojis with physical pixels
- Makey Makey and other algorithmic game
- Computer Science children's books
This event was designed to show Hudson Valley kids how magical coding and computer science can be, and to encourage them to have fun while learning!
A bright future lies in the hands of the new generation in Hudson Valley's tech scene, and we are committed to not only ensuring that they have access to this education, but also encouraging them to fall in love with tech and the many ways it can be applied to daily and professional life. By having the opportunity to practice logic and computational thinking, problem solving, collaboration, leadership, and so much more, they can develop many useful skills.
David Czechowski, CS teacher, says:
“We are all consumers and users of computing technologies because they have become a significant part of nearly every aspect of our lives. All students should have the opportunity to learn the computational thinking skills necessary to become creators in this digital world. Events like this provide a chance for community members to see how learning computer science can begin in elementary years and doesn't have to be just about "code". Algorithms, sensors, robotics can all bring computer science to life!”
We are glad to have been able to work with local teachers and students to facilitate this happening, and are proud of the vigor with which our community supports tech education.
Jocelyn Humphries, Educator, Innovator, CSTA Mid-Hudson Valley & Wappingers Central School District, shared:
The new state standards for Computer Science and Digital Fluency are due to be implemented in NYS next year. It is our hope that events like this one can get our youngest students excited to learn about Computer Science and might even help a few teachers in the crowd see that the lessons are not only doable, but just might be the high point of everyone's day.
Introducing children to computer science and coding early shows them that they aren’t as intimidating as they may seem, instead, they are tools that will drive success, innovation, development, and creativity. Events like these bring down barriers to tech education and make it available for all, boosting the opportunities for our community. The success of this event shows just how much potential Hudson Valley has, and how many brilliant minds we already have working on inspiring more e computer science lovers.
We’ve loved hearing all the praise and support for Computer Science Day at Galeria Mall, and we can say for certain that the best feedback has come from students, teachers, parents, and kids asking: When are we doing it again?
Look out for more events coming soon, get involved in the tech community, and remember to keep learning. There is no limit to what you can do when you unlock the power of computer science!