Middle schoolers learn about coding, AI at Del Mar College camp
Olivia Garrett
Robots directed by middle school students spun and whizzed around the atrium of Del Mar College's Venters Building on Wednesday.
This summer, sixth through eighth graders from schools in and around Corpus Christi gathered at Del Mar College for coding camps, part of efforts to support a local pathway to encourage students to engage with computer science and environmental science early and continue their education at Del Mar College and Texas A&M University-Corpus Christi.
Campers Zhoie Adams, an incoming seventh grader at Banquete Junior High School, Markus Soto, an incoming eighth grader at Cunningham at South Park Middle School, and mentor camper Joseph Flores, an incoming eighth grader at Seale Junior High School in Robstown, tested out codes they'd created for GoPiGo robots.
Soto had the idea attach a marker to the robot in the hopes of directing it to draw a star, while Adams directed the robot to spin and flash a light when it was her turn.
All three students said they enjoy robotics and coding in their free time. Flores was participating in the camp for a third year. He hopes to become a game designer.
Last week, the college hosted a beginner coding camp. This week, 18 students continued for a more in-depth program, including hands-on activities using Python and JavaScript and lessons on artificial intelligence.
"Students that we found were exceptional or had the drive and are motivated from camp one, we migrate them into camp two," Del Mar College computer science assistant professor Korinne Caruso said.
Students who participated in previous years can also come back as mentor campers. The camp has proved popular in recent years, Caruso said. Next year's camp already has a waiting list.
The camp is free, funded through a Texas Workforce Commission grant.
"The idea is to give them an opportunity to explore computer science and artificial intelligence through computer programming in block coding," Caruso said.
Researchers from Texas A&M University-Corpus Christi visited to share recent research in artificial intelligence and environmental science. The university and Del Mar College are both collaborators in AI2ES, a National Science Foundation-funded initiative focused on incorporating artificial intelligence into researching and predicting atmospheric and oceanic phenomena like weather patterns and sea levels.
Students might participate in a camp in middle school and then study at Del Mar College before continuing at Texas A&M University-Corpus Christi and working in research facilities, Caruso said. Additionally, campers can take what they learned back home to share with their friends and classmates, Caruso said.
"They can start at Del Mar, learn the fundamentals and then connect with people at A&M-Corpus Christi," Caruso said. "At this young stage, we're trying to teach them that both schools are working together to meet the needs of our community."
Texas A&M University-Corpus Christi student Maaz Haque was one of the helpers working with campers.
"It's really nice that these kids are starting so young," Haque said. "They're going to have a really good foundation. I feel like if I had done something like this, I would be way ahead of the curve."
Participants were engaged in eight hours of classroom instruction each week and 70 hours of hands-on activities. At the end of the camp, participants take home Raspberry Pi computer hardware and GoPiGo robots.
Students came from a variety of schools, including Corpus Christi ISD, Robstown ISD and West Oso ISD, as well as other area charter and private schools.
"I love it," West Oso Junior High School incoming seventh grader Kane Odem said.
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