Mission

Technovation is a computer science outreach program based out of Michigan State University (MSU). The goal of Technovation is to introduce middle-school and high-school participants to the field of computer science and to a supportive network that will help sustain their interests outside of the program. MSU student instructions serve as close-peer role models. In exposing participants to the possibilities in programming, we hope to instill in participants a new excitement and confidence for their own potential to create the technology that will drive their futures. Our aim is to educate, equip, and inspire new coders with the computing skills they’ll need to pursue 21st century opportunities.

Technovation is free and open to 6th to 12th graders. It is part of the Computer Science for All movement, which works to enable all in grades K-12 to achieve computer science literacy as an integral part of their educational experience. It is a co-educational version of the successful Girls Who Code Program using the Grok Learning Platform.

If you don't know how to code, we'll teach you. If you do know how to code, we'll teach you to code better. Technovation is a program for everyone — anybody can learn to code.

Schedule

Saturdays 10am-noon, October 6 - November 17 for a total of 7 meetings.

Any changes to scheduled dates (e.g., cancellation due to weather or illness) are posted to the news by 8:00 am the morning of the change.

Meetings start promptly at 10:00 am. Coders should be signed in online by then. Late comers may find themselves falling behind.

All meetings are at the Downtown Lansing Branch of Capital Area District Libraries. The first and last meetings are in a basement room; all other meetings are in a second-floor meeting room. Coders should check at the front circulation desk for directions.

Anatomy of a Meeting

Clubs meet for two hours on Saturday mornings for 7 weeks. The structure of a meeting varies over time:

• Most meetings start with a spotlight on Inspiring People in Tech and continue with mentors guiding participants in working Grok Learning Lessons

• At the start of a 7-week session, coders work with a partner at their own pace through select Grok Learning Lessons.

• Nearing the end of the session, most coders have completed a core set of lessons and their focus shifts to collaboratively defining and building a project of their choice. They work in small teams to design, code, and test independent projects that go into our club gallery.

• Towards the end of each meeting, coders share what they have accomplished, what they plan to work on next time, and what they need help with in a Standup meeting activity.

• We try to save 10 minutes at the end of each meeting in which to kick back, socialize, play video games, or write in individual reflection journals.