We had a fabulous event yesterday at Microsoft! The girls from South Lake HS and Center HS, participated in a Teaching Kids Programming workshop led by Ashley Myers, TKP Lead Trainer. The girls had such a good time learning programming. And the women told their stories to the girls as well. Brooke Lowry from Microsoft provided a fantastic computer lab and a beautiful lunch! It was an amazing day.
I want to thank the trainers/mentors all of whom are volunteers , who gave their time and caring to teach the girls how to code. Thank you to Ashley Myer, Lead TKP Trainer for the Pacific Northwest, Steph Berg, today’s co-lead trainer and Software Developer Microsoft, Jen Spinney, Software Developer, Microsoft, Sunny Patneedi, Software Tester, Microsoft, Teresa Hoffman, Software Developer, Microsoft, and Leslie Gray, Director Infrastructure and Database Management. You were all so inspiring for the girls and we appreciate that you were there to help, encourage and inspire the girls. They were really fortunate to get to meet all of y0u!
I want to thank the amazing teachers and school staff that make the event so wonderful as well. They work hard behind the scenes, to get the girls there and keep up the IGNITE spirit at school. Thank you to Michele Green , GRADS Program, South Lake HS, Grads is a Teen Mom program, And thank you to Karin Engstrom, Career Center Specialist, who is subbing for Barbara Quintana. WE miss you Barbara, but I know Karin from way back when she was a full time Career Specialist for many years at Garfield and knows the ropes well. Karin is such a great cheerleader for IGNITE and we appreciate all she is doing while Barbara is out.
Also a special mention to the women who came to visit from the MONA foundation. MONA has adopted TKP and wanted to come and observe our collaboration in action. And to see the great work TKP is doing. That would be Ashley of course. If you want to read more about TKP, visit TKP.org and the MONA foundation monafoundation.org Thank you to Rita Azizi Egrari, Director, Board of Directors, Susan Fairchild, Director of Engagement and Operations, and Sarah Rohn, Marketing and PR, MONA Foundation. Thank you all also for your interest in IGNITE!
Here are the comments from the girls survey forms.
- What I loved about today’s event was working on the computer and trying different formulas to make the program work. What was so interesting to me was viewing the IGNITE website and all of the scholarship information to help me go to college, and all of the summer opportunities.
- What I loved about today is learning programming. I also really enjoyed hearing the women’s stories about how they got to where they are today. And learning where they came from.
- What I liked about today was working with computers and the quizzes. Also, I liked how everything was set up with activities from start to end. The most interesting thing I heard today was how the Microsoft workers didn’t all know what they wanted to do at first, but then choose this career.
- I enjoyed working with my partner, playing with the tortoise programming. It was interesting to hear that people did not know what they wanted to do then discovered these careers.
- I loved that I can do some programs on the computer that I never knew before. Also, I loved the introduction of everyone’s past and stories. I learned that there are many different options in the technology field.
- I loved being creative and learning basic computer programming skills.
- I loved the activities that they taught us today. It was really fun and I appreciate all of the because I learned a lot. These people love their jobs! Also the scholarships and internships on the ignite website was amazing, thank you !
- I really liked the food and the working with codes. I know now how to use different codes and how to make things faster.
- I loved making the city skyline and the tortoise. I really liked hearing everyones stories.
- I liked learning all of the technical stuff. I also liked learning more about these career choices. I liked hearing about the money you can make too.
- I loved learning how to work the software. And I loved the food.
- It was really fun working on the computer and to learn programming.
- I liked how everyone liked their jobs at Microsoft. I learned that you can choose many careers at Microsoft. I thought learning programming was a challenge, but I enjoyed it.
- I really liked getting to play around with the program and after I figured out how it worked. I can also do it at home now that we have that thumb drive. I want to do it more now.
- The best thing I liked was making the codes to run the tortoise. I learned that it takes more than one person to make a video game or software. They do it on teams of people. That was interesting.
- I really liked learning the recipes and how to use whats in the question to find or create something to solve it. I really appreciate that we got to learn this today. Some people don’t get to learn these things until they are older or more educated.
- I liked building the star in the program.
- I really liked the quiz, and lunch.
Thank you to everyone, who made this day so special
Cathi Rodgveller M.S. Ed.
View the South Lake High School Chapter Page