Weekly WISE #3

Welcome back to Weekly WISE. This week, students got to visit Cenovus Energy, as well as the West White Rose Project in Argentia! Check out what Zuairia K. and Grace H. were up to this week.

Zuairia K., Coding Camp Coordinator

Hello!

I am Zuairia Binte Kamal (she/her), a grade 11 student currently serving as a Summer Coding Camp Coordinator with the WiseNL program at the Grenfell campus. The world of technology and the internet has always fascinated me, and working at the summer coding camp has been an incredibly rewarding experience.

My co-worker and I have the pleasure of guiding a group of enthusiastic children ranging from grade 2 to 7 in the exciting world of coding. During the first week, we covered various engaging topics, including computer coding basics, designing challenging maze games, creating binary bracelets, exploring pixel art, deciphering secret messages, mastering the art of debugging, and even delving into the realm of AI. In the second week, we had the pleasure of working with a group of students in grades 2-3. Their eagerness to learn about coding was infectious, and it was heartwarming to witness their excitement. These young minds proved to be quick learners, and they had a blast engaging in activities such as creating pixel art, experimenting with Scratch programming, crafting computer games, exploring the concept of AI, and understanding how to give commands to the computer. The enthusiasm of these young learners truly made the week enjoyable for all of us. As the weeks progress, we have similar plans in store for the other age groups. However, with the older students, we have the opportunity to introduce more advanced concepts in computer coding. This includes delving into debugging techniques, creating challenging games like Pong and Chase games, and even developing their own version of the popular “Flappy Bird” game. In between the coding excitement, we’ve also incorporated some calming activities like origami, which not only provided a break but also helped the participants focus and engage with something relaxing.

Overall, this experience has been both fulfilling and enriching. Witnessing the curiosity and creativity of the camp participants has reaffirmed my passion for technology and education. It also evokes fond memories of my childhood when my dad owned a desktop computer, and I first learned how to paint on it. I’m grateful for the chance to contribute to their learning journey and inspire them to explore the vast world of coding.

Grace H., Bioprocess Engineer

Hi! My name is Grace, and throughout the past few weeks, I’ve been working with bioprocess engineers at the Bruneau Centre for Research and Innovation here at MUN on the St. John’s campus! Along with meeting new people, learning about the job and different experiments, and our WISE tours, it’s been really busy! Bioprocess engineering involves taking biomasses or organic materials and finding sustainable and efficient ways to make it useful in industries such as mining, cosmetics, agriculture, and more. Lately I’ve been focusing on assisting with different lab work, such as BET, which is a type of experiment that uses gas adsorption to determine the surface area of certain samples. I’ve also worked on different extraction processes as well as certain experiments in the new biochemistry lab in the Core Science Facility! When I’m not busy in the lab, I’ve been doing some research and reading papers on a bunch of important processes to better understand my work. Last week, we went on two tours to the MUN Med facility and the NRC. These were both so interesting and really great opportunities to see all the career options out there. Getting to spend more time with the other girls in WISE was so fun, and I’m really looking forward to our next tours. This week, we are going to Cenovus, and all the way out to the West White Rose site in Argentia, which will be really exciting! I’ve already learned so much in this program, in everything from lab safety to experiment skills. The other tours (such as the Marine Institute) and getting to meet so many new people has been so helpful in demonstrating different career paths to inspire myself and all the other girls!