Try It, You’ll Like It!

Making Technology Kid-Friendly

Three students in the Computer Science department are involved in an important effort this spring term—promoting the virtues of technology careers to children in local elementary and secondary schools. Michele Milliner, Trianna Salo and Brittany Carter are part of a project funded by a grant from the Hemingway family that will bring a hands-on technology experience into classrooms where young girls and boys are in the very early stages of contemplating their career paths.

With mentorship support from Professor Brian Rague, the three women have been working this fall on developing in-class tech demonstrations that would appeal to younger kids, with an emphasis on girls who may be interested in STEM-oriented subjects. The team designed two presentations that will focus on what makes a computer tick (CPU, memory, disk) and the increasing interest in mobile app development and usage.

These hands-on demonstrations will engage the students in a fun and educational way. One of the primary objectives of this effort is to send the message to young students that women bring a vital perspective to STEM-related fields, and will be integral to the growth of these disciplines in the future. In addition, we want to make sure students who are initially exploring their world are made aware of the great educational opportunities that COAST offers.