The partnership between Student Technology Services (STS) and WashU’s College Prep Program (CPP) continues to spark curiosity and excitement for technology among local high school students through a series of hands-on workshops. The high school sophomore cohort was offered opportunities to learn about key technology concepts and work on skills that were outlined as a necessity by STS leadership for incoming college students.
Oana Dimofte, STS Assistant Director, made a strong case for the first session of the series to be Computers 101: Hardware, Software & Cybersecurity Best Practices: “I have seen numerous first year students come to STS for tech help knowing how to use their laptops, but lacking basic understanding of how the machines work and how to do any basic troubleshooting… so I thought it made sense to build a fun and interactive session focused on the topic of hardware.” Tai Huynh, STS Technical Support Specialist II, is a College Prep alum who was introduced to STS during his time in the program and ended up working for STS while an engineering undergrad at WashU. He was tapped to develop an engaging curriculum for this first workshop, held on February 8. Peeti Sithiyopasakul, former STS student tech, then STS Manager of Technical Services and current EUS AD, put on his trainer hat to deliver the content, and student techs Fortuna and Aaron were on hand to help assist. The 22 student participants didn’t just sit back and listen; they got to roll up their sleeves and explore the internal components of a computer, learning how hardware and software work together.
They disassembled machines, provided graciously by Lou Trout, Depot Operations Supervisor II, identified essential components like CPUs, GPUs, motherboards, and RAM, and participated in a fun team computer assembly competition. Students raved about the interactive format, saying they loved learning how to take apart and reassemble computers. Some were fascinated by the way a CPU functions like a brain, while others enjoyed hands-on challenges.
The feedback from the workshop was overwhelmingly positive, with an impressive average rating of 93 out of 100, and it was compiled for CPP leadership in two-word clouds to illustrate what they enjoyed the most and something new they learned about.
On March 8, students took their skills to the next level in the Introduction to Web Design Workshop, led by DevSTAC student developers, Tanner Shannon and Jade Gutierrez, with support from Francis, current Brookings student technology coordinator. This hands-on session organized by STS Director Sherry Holmes gave students a taste of digital creativity, equipping them with essential web development skills. One CPP student even called it “the best program” they had attended, highlighting how engaging and informative the workshop was in breaking down complex concepts and making web design accessible to beginners.
Tashanna Stanciel, CPP Director, expressed her satisfaction with the first two sessions: “Thank you for partnering with us to ensure that our scholars had a great experience this past Saturday. From the feedback and the pictures, it is quite evident that scholars had a good time with this immersive learning experience.”
Introduction to 3D Printing, the third and final session of the spring programming, is scheduled to take place on April 12. 3D Techs from Tech Den, Zach O’Connor and Madison Curry, along with Tai Huynh are working hard to put together a guide for students to illustrate the exciting world of 3D modeling and fabrication. Through collaborative opportunities and programming like this, STS remains dedicated to providing engaging and interactive technology education experiences to the WashU community and beyond.