In an eye-opening, hands-on learning experience, students were able to participate in a Lone Star College-led school coding competition this past Thursday. Students across all grades through the guidance of peers under the computer science program at Lone Star completed a series of “Jeopardy”-style challenges in which they were introduced to the various fields available within computer science and engineering.
“It was really fun,” Mr. Andrade, the school’s resident programming teacher, said. “It was a culmination of everything I’ve been trying to do here in my own class, which is to get people interested in the topic.”
Mr. Andrade, Mrs. Bernal, and several volunteers from the community college headed this project, working to accommodate the various skill levels and interests of the students here in regards to CompSci. Summer Creek representatives, coupled with the leading students at Lone Star, Kaylee Scanlin and Natalie Mount, had one goal in mind: to provide a new efficacy and interest in technology within our community.
Sophomore Amy Nguyen, already with a background in coding, attended the event with an open-mind.
“I asked around to see what it would be like, and it seemed to be a good learning experience that would let me expand my existing knowledge and meet more people,” Nguyen said.
Which is exactly what it did. The environment within the termed Hackathon event provided fun, learning, and newfound connections.
“It was so enjoyable. There was a lot of laughing and we all really bonded as a team,” Nguyen said.
With over 30 students participating, the event proved to be a huge success. Parents of students expressed appreciation and a piqued curiosity on what more our school could offer- classes, clubs, and more Hackathon events.
Mrs. Bernal, the designated liaison between the Lone Star students and the necessary facilitators at our school, recalls the emails she received after that Thursday.
“Many parents reached out to me afterwards,” Bernal said. “They told me how their students had such a good time, and they wanted to know more about opportunities for similar activities or learning.”
Such success can be attributed to the detailed vetting and understanding Mr. Andrade and Mrs. Bernal had. Wanting to guarantee all types of students and backgrounds could take something out of the event, the “Jeopardy” framed challenges allowed for students to pick the categories they wanted to compete in and what they would like to do.
“Students who didn’t know much about coding, maybe who had only just taken my intro computer science class, were able to see real applications of it and what could be done with it in the world,” Mr. Andrade said.
“Hack Summer Creek 2024” provides an important new stepping stool for our students and staff alike to garner newfound experience in technology skills with hopes to develop a greater program here at our school. Such an engaging, exciting event can only be hoped to remain a staple here at The Creek.
