By Angela M. Coggs
On Saturday, November 22 Mobile Commerce Digital Technology Alliance (MCDTA) hosted a S.T.E.M. (Science Technology Engineering Math) Skills Workshop. The workshop, “Hack the Web: Make a Website in a Day” was held from 10 am to 3 pm in San Bernardino. A local non-profit S.G.D.I.G. provided laptops for the day. The hackathon was geared toward middle and high school students.
The goal for this event was to get youth from underserved communities interested in S.T.E.M. related careers and entrepreneurship. “Bringing events like this to the community is critical for the economic future of San Bernardino,” said Cynthia Frazier, Founder of MCDTA. Students who develop a strong S.T.E.M. foundation today will face a much brighter tomorrow,” she continued.
During the workshop, the participants learned how to navigate the basics of idea creation, web design, coding, and internet safety. The students were excited about learning new concepts and making their own websites. Studies show that high quality, well-facilitated S.T.E.M. activities encourage youth to be curious, ask questions, and make connections with the world around them. Also, S.T.E.M. skills are needed to compete in the 21st Century job market.
Youth that regularly participate in high quality out of school programs have fewer absences, have better behavior and get higher grades. It is evident when students are not afforded out of school opportunities; they are at a tremendous disadvantage. This is why events like the Hackathon are very important and will ultimately prove to make a positive impact in the community. Success is also more probable when parents and teachers get involved and invest in their children and students ongoing progress.
Michelle Frahm, Computer Elective and Math 7 teacher at Martin Luther King Jr. Middle School attended the event. Several of her students were offered scholarships from Applied Principles for Service to attend. “This opportunity is great for students to explore different technologies in a context outside home and school. Teaching students about how web design is beneficial for business use and may help inspire our young entrepreneurs.”
It was refreshing to see a teacher come out on a Saturday morning and support her students outside of school. Frahm also provided some insight and helpful tips to the students during the workshop. “As a teacher in a low SES (Title 1) school, I am always looking for opportunities to bring the real world applications of technology into the student’s lives to help them gain experiences they may not otherwise get.”
One of Frahm’s students, Valentina Ornelas, who attended the event, really enjoyed the workshop. “I had a lot of fun creating my own website. I liked working with the other students that I met today and hearing their point of view.” When asked what she learned in the workshop that really resonated with her she did not hesitate to answer. “I liked when she (Frazier) explained computer related vocabulary that I heard before but was not sure what all of them meant. She explained it so we could understand it.”
Eighth grade student, Sakinah Nash-Bey, who attended the event with her younger sister, enjoyed the event and learned a lot. “The program was very informative and fun at the same time. The part I most liked was when we all got in a group and were brainstorming ideas for a website as a team. Hopefully, we’ll get to attend more of these programs.”
Students from several school districts, including Moreno Valley, Rialto, and San Bernardino, participated in the one day event. They worked as a group to come up with an idea for a website, and developed it together. Everyone worked hard and did their part to see the website come alive. Students also gave an oral presentation before receiving their certificates. The next hackathon is scheduled for January 31, 2015.