On October 19, 2022, Vendasta will host five classrooms of grades 6 - 8 students for a fun and educational day of STEM related activities, as well as learn about the incredible technology we build and provide to local experts around the world! 

The goal of Vendasta's Community Support Committee is to identify opportunities for Vendasta to take community action that fits within our core pillars of support. Our objective with hosting Vendasta Tech Camp is to promote digital literacy in the areas of science, technology, engineering, and mathematics education in Canada. We are aiming to help children build curiosity toward STEM activities and careers, especially focused on technology. We are building Vendasta's workforce for 10 years down the road! 

With this event, we aim to:

1. Increase participant motivation about STEM

2. Build curiosity tied with fun opportunities to practice what they learn.

3. Encourage ideation for students to explore new subjects

4. Deepen their understanding of difficult concepts, particularly in STEM

5. Encourage a career in technology in Saskatchewan… and hopefully at Vendasta! 

Our selected schools are: 

• Sylvia Fedoruk, Grade 7

• Holy Family, Grade 8

• Westmount (Let's Lead Nīkānētān Program), Grade 8

• St. Bernard, Grade 7

• St Mary’s Wellness and Education Centre, Grade 6

At Tech Camp, we will be circulating the classes through five activity stations featuring different themes of STEM where they will apply different skills that we use here at Vendasta. They will learn about different functions within the tech industry and how we work together within our teams.

Activity 1: 

Near-field Communication | Engineering & Invention | 17th floor west

At Vendasta we use our understanding of science and mathematics to create new solutions to novel problems. In this activity, students will learn about the basics of magnetic induction and how near-field communication operates. They will design their own keychain that holds an NFC coded secret message!

#artsandcrafts #creativity #presentation #coding

Activity 2: 

Bristlebots | Curiosity & Discovery | 17th floor east

Creating solutions to new problems means getting curious about how the world works and having fun learning. In this activity, we will understand the basics of circuits and learn how companies use iterative design to improve products. The students will create their own "Bristlebot" robot using a toothbrush head, a vibrating motor, and a 3V battery. The students can optimize their robot design for racing or for battle, as we will host a Bristlebot race and a sumo competition! Each group will produce a winner from each category, who will take home a very special Vendasta Tech Camp plaque. 

#artsandcrafts #creativity #circuits #electronics #competition #robotics

Activity 3: 

Turtley Amazing | Computer Science & Programming | 15th floor classroom

Creating software involves understanding how a computer works. When we “program” we are taking an idea in your head and translating into a language that a computer understands. In this activity, we will learn about the Python programming language and programming concepts such as conditionals, loops, and functions. The students will be lead through a coding exercise to create an interactive turtle that moves in front of their eyes, by following the instructions they tell it to do. 

#computer #technology #coding

Activity 4: 

Create an App | Design Thinking | 12th floor east

Product design isn’t only about making something that’s nice to look at, it’s about users being able to understand how to use a product. In this activity, students will plan and design an application optimized for user experience. Using the Double Diamond design process, students will take an idea for an app, define requirements, and design user interfaces.

#teamwork #planning #design #problem solving

Activity 5: 

Secret Molecule | Communication & Problem Solving| 12th floor west

Communication and team work are important no matter where you go in life. At Vendasta, we work together in teams to tackle challenges and come up with creative solutions. In this activity, students will learn about some of the roles that make up modern software development: product manager, software developer and quality assurance tester. They will learn to break down nebulous problems and communicate abstract concepts with others. Under the direction of a team lead (product manager) the team (software developers) will need to replicate the design of a contraction made of toothpicks and marshmallows. The group who does this the fastest/most accurately wins a prize!

#teamwork #communication #creativity #competition

If you work in office, there are some things to be aware of on October 19! 

We have guests! 

Let's show off our space! Keep your desk and work area tidy and appropriate (these are children, remember?!). There are 15 minute breaks between activities for the classes to migrate from activity to activity, have bathroom breaks, etc. You may seem some bodies wondering around your area! 

Our guests are young!

To above point - let's keep it appropriate. Be aware of your surroundings - keep swearing to a minimum or not at all. We do have alcohol in the office at times, let's make sure everything is put away and out of sight.

It may be loud...

Some of the activities may get... vocal. We are encouraging excitement and energy - we want to spark an interest in STEM and Tech! On the 12th floor particularly, if this could potentially be a bother to you, you may consider working remotely that day. 

Lunchtime could be crowded

All classrooms - 150 kids - have a lunch break from 11:45 a.m. to 12:45 p.m. Their lunch will be provided upstairs on the 17th floor, but you may see some bodies in the cafeteria exploring our super fun break space and games! Let's let them have access to these games - we want to show them how cool it is to work at Vendasta. You may consider having your lunch at your desk that day, if you'll find that overwhelming.  

Come check it out! 

We encourage you to explore the activity stations, and say hello to the classes and teachers. Tell them what you do here! Let's be great hosts and make them feel welcomed. 

We want you to share! 

People care what you have to say, and we appreciate you leveraging your own credibility to help us make this event a success! We have provided some social prompts to help you below!

A few notes:

• Note that the @Vendasta is for tagging us! You’ll need to do this manually, and then the “@” will disappear 

• Once you include the link on platform and it caches, go ahead and delete that bugger

• Feel free to edit these and make them your own! You can find supporting imagery here. 

Volunteers:

I am excited to be volunteering at @Vendasta’s inaugural Tech Camp! We’re hosting nearly 150 kids from five different schools here at our HQ. We’ll be doing everything from product design to building robots to coding. It’s going to be as fun as it is educational.  

As Saskatchewan’s biggest tech employer, we understand the importance of getting kids interested in STEM careers so that we can continue to grow the tech sector in Saskatchewan. 

#tech #learning #education #prairies 

https://www.vendasta.com/tech-camp/ 

Non-Volunteers:

@Vendasta’s inaugural Tech Camp is taking place on October 19! Submissions were through the roof — we had to close the application form after just a few days. More than 150 kids will have a chance to build a robot, do some team-building, learn product design, and even code. I love seeing this next generation come up in the midst of technology, and love working at the bleeding edge of that work. 

As Saskatchewan’s biggest tech employer, we understand the importance of getting kids interested in STEM careers so that we can continue to grow the tech sector in Saskatchewan. 

#tech #learning #education #prairies 

https://www.vendasta.com/tech-camp/