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Maryville University Hosts Hazelwood Students for Coding Camp

Maryville University Hosts Hazelwood Students for Coding Camp

 

 

Twins at Maryville University

Hazelwood School District students got a taste of summer at Maryville University's Coding Camp — a fast-paced, engaging, and unforgettable experience where learning and fun took center stage. Maryville’s program began in 2016, eventually expanding to St. Louis County schools, including Hazelwood. This year, the week-long coding camp had nearly 130 students, consisting of half-day programs for high schoolers in the morning and middle school students in the afternoon. Students previewed and chose one of five programs: Escape Room, Game Design, EarSketch-coding through music, Minecraft coding, and Robotics.

The first day of camp introduced students to the program.. The next three days were design days. And with much anticipation, Friday was an exploration day where students traveled to each of the different rooms to see what they created in each program.  

“Kids come in from all the local school districts,” Dr. Ashley McGhaw, Coding Camp co-director, explained. “They get along. They design. They build. They’re hands-on. It’s hands-on learning, engaging, and they want to be here.”   

In addition to students learning through STEM (science, technology, engineering, and math), some were fascinated by being on a college campus. 

Terrell Davis at Maryville University

“I learned how to make escape rooms and use code to animate and move objects,” East Middle eighth-grader Terrell Davis shared. “What I like most is that the camp is on a college campus, and I get to see how big it is.” 

Other students spoke highly about their overall experience in the coding camp.

Taya Miller at Maryville University

“When I first got here, we went to classes to experience different codes that we would like,” Northwest Middle seventh-grader Taya Miller shared. “My instructor, Cassie, was very nice. She liked teaching us and asking questions to see if we understood what she spoke about.” Taya added, “Everyone is very welcoming and friendly. There are a lot of different codes that we can use, and everyone was helpful when I needed help.” 

Ethan Mbugua at Maryville University

“It’s only my first year, but it's going alright; I like how nice the teachers are,” West Middle seventh-grader Ethan Mbugua explained. “I like doing the escape rooms, digital and reality, because it is fun. My favorite part of the escape rooms has been creating the characters in the setting. It was a good idea to come here to do something for my summer.” 

The Hazelwood School District is excited for the students who participated in Maryville University’s summer coding camp and looks forward to next year’s group of students' STEM education experience. 

 

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