Halifax County high school youth are a step closer to navigating and participating in today’s artificial intelligence-filled world through collaboration and keystrokes.
In its pursuit to foster youth development and promote continuous learning through studious play and challenges about Science, Technology, Education and Math activities, the Center for Energy Education hosted Roanoke Valley high schoolers for a week of coding camp where they learned the fundamentals of Python, a programming language used for tasks in web development, data analysis, machine learning and automation.
The interactive introductory class demonstrated to students instruction and processes that align with science standards.
Campers explored technical yet creative processes to plan and execute investigations, as well as build collaborative designs.
Coding lessons also facilitated the campers’ efforts to collect evidence and control variables in their programming projects.
Dr. Walter Lowe, C4EE’s science advisor and retired Stanford University physics professor, and Chaloner Middle School computer science and technology teacher Christopher Jeffers, led camp instruction.
Roanoke Rapids Early College rising junior Josiah Ausby described the camp as an opportunity for fun, hands-on discovery of “the joys of being a coder. I learned how to creatively problem solve through different obstacles and I nourished skills such as collaboration and communication. The camp exposed me and other participants not only to the elaborate coding language of Python but also the potential opportunities of a future in coding.”
He noted the informative discussions with camp leaders and his peers that skill upgrades, like coding, can launch in-demand careers in software engineering, data science, cybersecurity and game design.
The campers learned the complementary nature of AI and programming skills, how mastery can position them as sought-after tech professionals.
Their camp takeaway: Embrace AI as a partner, not a rival, and seize the opportunities it brings to elevate their futures.
From logic to problem-solving, the camp fostered a deep understanding of coding principles in an engaging and immersive environment for steady intellectual growth.
“Coding, like AI, has changed our world much like the computer changed it for earlier generations,” said Mozine Lowe, C4EE’s executive director. “This camp’s interactive blending of science and creativity nurtures scholarship and community. As these kids learn and play through STEM, they will discover a platform of robust opportunity for fulfilling futures.”
