CSA Celebrates Computer Science Education Week

The CSA crew held it's fall semester meeting on December 9, 2014 featuring a lunch and learn session with Prof. Dan Knights on his research and fascinating results in "Hacking the Microbiome".  The business portion of the meeting centered on CSA associations and activities relevant to "Computer Science Education Week",

Go West Coder Dojo! Go West to Minnetonka!

Minnetonka High School launches the state’s first high school-based CoderDojo

The first day of school often brings feelings of nervous excitement to students returning from summers filled with bonfires, vacations and relaxation. But for two Minnetonka High School seniors, the back-to-school excitement began weeks before the first day of class.

Javidan Odqan and Josh McGrath have spent their summer coding in internship positions with an innovation company called Edmentum. As they enter their final year at Minnetonka High School, they’ll bring with them a new coding club that boasts a wait list already 85-people long: Tonka CoderDojo.

CoderDojo is an open source, volunteer-led movement that runs nonprofit coding clubs for young people. According to coderdojo.com, children 7-17 are welcome, and each Dojo determines the age range its volunteers can handle.


Read the full article: http://sailor.mnsun.com/2014/09/05/cracking-the-code-tonka-coderdojo/

CSE Alumni Matt Gray and Rebecca Schatz, founders of the local Coder Dojo movement, have provided tons of encouragement, knowledge, tips, advice and support to Javidan Odqan and Josh McGrath as they navigated the waters of school district rules and regulations and built a functioning chapter.    Good ideas win out and the Minnetonka School District has embraced Josh and Javi and welcomed Coder Dojo into their facilities and learning community.  John Borowicz, CSA chair and CSE alumni, is a regular mentor at Tonka Coder Dojo and also provides web development, promotional and operations support.

CSA chair's connection field trip

I had the pleasure of meeting and talking with CS&E's Distinguished Alumnus, Rebecca Schatz (founder of 'The Works' and leads CodeSavvy.org), about her connecting with kids through coding and the outcomes she has witnessed.  I was personally convinced that CodeSavvy could be that extra-special connection and relationship that CSA has been seeking to bolster our outreach activity.

Rebecca is a terrific role model, fabulous leader and a strong advocate for volunteering with a purpose. She saw 'the need' before it was on most people's 'needs' radar. She experimented and built and tested and proved efficacy and feasibility.  No doubt about it - I was sold!  But, a nano-dilemma presented itself. If 'I' was going to stand behind this, recommend this initiative to CSA and the department, promote it, and do my level best to persuade colleagues, cajole friends and their colleagues to join this movement - I needed to see it 'in action' for myself.  I had to 'eat my own dog food' and see if a) these events were any good; and b) I - as a gray haired, 30 year info pro - could do this and like it!  So, I got the sign-up URL from Rebecca and attended the January 25th CoderDoJo Twin Cities event that CodeSavvy sponsors along with a couple of local software enterprises: Clockwork Active Media and Code42; a well known advertising agency - Colle+McVoy; and a couple of 'like-minded', non-profit, STEM advocates: Good 'n Nerdy and MinnWebCon.