California Baptist University partners with California School for the Deaf Riverside for the first high school computer coding camp for the deaf, equipping 10 hearing-impaired high school students with the coding knowledge to develop their own video games. provided. And more importantly, demonstrate. Earning an engineering degree is a rewarding career choice on many levels.
“I love technology,” says Darius Zarembka, a third-year student at California School for the Deaf Riverside (CSDR). “I love video games, and this is my first time making my own game, so I was interested in this camp.''
Ben Saunders, assistant professor of computing science and data science at CBU, teaches the basics of coding and watches in awe as students write lines of code on the whiteboard that can be copied onto high-tech computers. I did.
CBU hired American Sign Language (ASL) interpreters and had ASL student volunteers assist with interpretation throughout the two-day camp held March 7 and 21 at the Gordon and Jill Bones Institute of Technology. .
new technology
By the end of the camp, students showed off their new coding skills by demonstrating a video game with a storyline similar to Pac-Man. In their version, the green snake ate the red dot to grow bigger and stronger.
“Engineering is a lucrative field with endless career possibilities, and this camp is a fun way to introduce students to the world of coding and creativity,” said Phil Van Haaster, dean of the CBU College of Engineering.
Coding Camp for Deaf Students is a result of CBU's commitment to providing all students with opportunities to receive a quality education and help them find purpose.
The university has a Deaf Studies Center that offers a minor in ASL and is deeply involved with the Deaf community.
inspire students
Kevin Willis, CBU alumnus, deaf pilot, and visiting instructor in CBU's Aviation Science program, stopped by the camp to share his story and encourage students to take the less traveled path in life and career. He encouraged them to walk.
Recognizing the need to leverage students and faculty to expand opportunities for the Deaf community, the College of Engineering has initiated a dialogue between CBU and CSDR about potential programs for CBU's Deaf community. This camp was made possible through contributions from donors to fund the first year's camp and establish an endowment for future computer science camps with CSDR.
Only 22% of deaf people in the U.S. have a bachelor's degree, compared to 37.7% of hearing people, so camps like this motivate deaf high school students to continue their studies at the college level. It's an opportunity. The School of Engineering can help meet that need by providing opportunities to develop an interest in areas of research that are often overlooked elsewhere.
“Giving students multiple opportunities to explore their interests and excel in their hobbies is important because it helps shape their future educational and career goals,” said Erica Thompson, Outreach Resource Specialist at CSDR. It will help.”
Editor's note — This story was written and originally published by the Southern Baptist Convention of California.
