CODE hosts Tech Jam to share STEM knowledge

By ANA-SOFIA MUÑOZ

STAFF WRITER

    CODE hosted its second annual Tech Jam on Friday, Jan. 17. 

  Tech Jam provided an opportunity for students to build their own alarm using an Arduino microcontroller and compete against other students to win prizes.

 CODE hardware manager Kyle Dang described Tech Jam as a beneficial introduction to computer science for students interested in coding. 

  “There is [often] a stereotype of how [difficult] computer science might be,” Dang said. “[By introducing] students [to] the Arduino project and basic website building, it demystifies how hard [coding] can be and gives them a fun opportunity to [become familiarized] with  the program.”

  In addition, vice-captain Lilly Lee commended the event’s success through the participation from students in different grade levels. 

  “It [was] really inspiring when I [saw] all of the middle schoolers who [attended] with a heart ready to learn more about [the Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics (STEM) field],” Lee said. “[For high schoolers], [the event] gave students exposure to something they may not have tried before, which can be very important as they [start exploring potential majors].”

  Furthermore, fronting captain Jeffrey Liu stated that events like Tech Jam serve to strengthen the community by inspiring students to explore STEM careers.

  “[The majority] of the future is embedded in what we do [to] further the fields of science and help to improve the lives of others using that,” Liu said. “Providing [students] this  introduction to [STEM] is the most important step in [cultivating] the future of [both] the [STEM field] and society [as a whole].”

  CODE will be hosting its annual CODE camp this summer.