Courtesy of Upper Arlington Schools
From coding competitions to public service, the computer science club at Upper Arlington High School allows students to transcend traditional classroom instruction and learn coding and programming skills. Students in the club compete in technology competitions against other schools, discuss technology advancements and participate in community service projects.
Diane Kahle, a math teacher at Upper Arlington High School and advisor for the club, says learning about technology and computers is vital to any career students may pursue in the future.
“When they get formal training on it, they just are that much more equipped to handle new things and do bigger things,” Kahle says. “I also think that logic and problem solving are two skills that are entwined in everything you do in computer science, and definitely two great skills to help you survive your future.”
Students enjoy that the club gives them opportunities to further explore computer science, whether through volunteering or hackathons.
“A lot of times people like to explore things on their own, and computer science club kind of gives them an avenue to do that realistically with different competitions and different service opportunities they can partake in,” says club co-president Annie Hu. “So, it’s kind of like a way for them to explore that and do even more, since a lot of times just taking the class isn’t enough.”
Hu and co-president Susie Hodson, both juniors at UAHS, lead the club in preparing for competitions, learning Python programming language and discussing historical advancements within the field.
In addition to weekly club meetings, the club has worked with the Upper Arlington Commission on Aging to hold help desk sessions where older adults can get technology guidance and advice directly from students in the club. The students have also offered similar services at the Upper Arlington Public Library Main Branch and helped present coding classes during the Upper
Arlington Summer Academy’s summer BRIDGE program for students fourth through 12th grade.
“As the world becomes more focused on using technology, I think that everyone would benefit from knowing a little bit of coding and a little bit of computer science,” Hu says. “That’s why we make it a priority to make sure that we go to every elementary school, we go to all the middle schools and we try to make sure that all of the children can get exposed to computer science from a young age to have that opportunity to explore it.”
As the world evolves and tech literacy becomes more critical for people in all industries, the club isn’t just for students seeking a future in tech. Many students involved are passionate about exploring computer science in a multitude of disciplines.
“I think that it’s a really great way to meet people, especially people who have such diverse interests, since computer science is a really large field,” Hodson says. “We’ve seen and learned about students who have applied it to physics and photonics and music and the environment and all sorts of things like that.”
The club gives students an opportunity to network with industry professionals and other students who are interested in the world of computer science. The club also facilitates networking with professionals in the field and college students studying related subjects.
“(It’s) a great way to one, meet new people and also to get a feel for what other people are doing in computer science and how the field will work maybe in the future for us,” Hodson says.
Many students in the club, including its co-presidents, aspire to pursue careers related to computer science after high school. Hu plans to study holographic technology in college.
“The physics and the light and all of that is very fascinating to me,” she says. “So I’m very excited to make that (goal) come true.”
Hodson is interested in merging computer science with other subjects.
“I’m hoping to study some sort of combination of computer science and biology to do work with genetic engineering and stuff like that, which is another really up and coming field,” she says.
Maisie Fitzmaurice is an editorial assistant. Feedback welcome at feedback@cityscenemediagroup.com.
