CIS Students Promote Computer Science to Springfield Middle School Students
Under a UO program called Furlough Friday Science Days, a group of CIS undergraduate and graduate students spent a no-school Friday with students from Hamlin Middle School, introducing them to the art and science of computer programming. CIS graduate student Emily Schwartz led the lively hands-on labs in which pairs of students developed simple computer games using Scratch. Scratch is developed by the Lifelong Kindergarten Group at the MIT Media Lab. Also participating were CIS majors Daniel Erickson, Elizabeth Fuller, Alisha Kawaguchi, Melody Li, Lily Moch, Felix Pan, Yaxuan Zhang; and CIS graduate students Megen Brittell and David Poliakoff. See Register Guard Picture of the Day (Feb1).
The Furlough Fridays program, also known as "Mad Duck Science Days" is funded by a grant from the Camille and Henry Dreyfus Foundation to UO Chemistry faculty Michael Pluth, Shannon Boettcher, and George Nazin. Now in its second year, the program aims to excite younger students about the world of science, particularly in the current environment of reduced public school funding.
The department's Women in Computer Science Program (WICS) is active in two additional K-12 outreach programs. Project Hatch is an after-school program for students, especially young females, to explore the world of computer science. Project Hatch was created by CIS instructor Kiki Prottsman in 2012 and will be offered during Spring Term 2013.
WICS students also participated in Duck Academy, a project organized by the UO Alumni Association, Lane County Chapter and the United Way. Once a month, student volunteers go to Fairfield Elementary School to present a series of engaging computer activities using Scratch for students in third through fifth grade. Organizer Megen Brittell will be assisted this term by CIS major Alisha Kawaguchi.