San Diego Supercomputer Center Launches Computer Science Workshops for Middle School Students

The University of California, San Diego's San Diego Supercomputer Center (SDSC) has partnered with local middle schools on a series of computer science workshops designed to get more female and minority students interested in computing.

The workshops kicked off last month with students from Granger Junior High School and National City Middle School.

"It was a wonderful learning experience for them, and all of the students expressed interest in taking more courses in computer science," said Art Lopez, a computer science and applications instructor at Sweetwater High School, which is in the same district as the participating students. "I was very impressed with their willingness to explore new computer skills, so hopefully we embedded a 'seed' of learning to cultivate future computer scientists. In fact many of them expressed interest in pursuing a career in computing."

Funded by a grant from the Parker Foundation and a consortium of local businesses called Connect, the program "dovetails with a larger program funded by the National Science Foundation (NSF) called ComPASS, for Computing Principles for All Students' Success," according to a release, that is designed to prepare instructors to teach computer science principles.

"San Diego's economy depends upon technology and innovation that impact nearly every job sector," said Diane Baxter, SDSC's director of education, in a prepared statement. "These workshops are all about getting more students, especially underrepresented ones, to learn the computational thinking skills that those jobs require. But most of all, we want them to engage in the fun and excitement of computing so they look forward to learning more as they continue their studies."

The next workshop will take place November 16 and will cover the basics of programming for Alice. More information is available at education.sdsc.edu.

About the Author

Joshua Bolkan is contributing editor for Campus Technology, THE Journal and STEAM Universe. He can be reached at [email protected].

Featured

  • DreamBox Math

    Discovery Education Announces Updates to Experience, DreamBox Math

    K-12 learning solution provider Discovery Education has announced enhancements to its Discovery Education Experience and DreamBox Math products, designed to create a more personalized, engaging learning experience for students.

  • abstract pattern of cybersecurity, ai and cloud imagery

    Report Identifies Malicious Use of AI in Cloud-Based Cyber Threats

    A recent report from OpenAI identifies the misuse of artificial intelligence in cybercrime, social engineering, and influence operations, particularly those targeting or operating through cloud infrastructure. In "Disrupting Malicious Uses of AI: June 2025," the company outlines how threat actors are weaponizing large language models for malicious ends — and how OpenAI is pushing back.

  • digital dashboard featuring a shield icon, graphs, a world map, and network nodes

    IBM Launches Agentic AI Governance and Security Platform

    IBM has introduced a new software stack for enterprise IT teams tasked with managing the complex governance and security challenges posed by autonomous AI systems.

  • laptop and fish hook

    Security Researchers Identify Generative AI 'Vishing' Attack

    A new report from researchers at Ontinue's Cyber Defense Center has identified a complex, multi-stage cyber attack that leveraged social engineering, remote access tools, and signed binaries to infiltrate and persist within a target network.