JBU brings back tech academies

Andrew Mobley/Special to the Herald-Leader Student Teacher Carlos Hernandez (left) answers a question for Zachary Graziani at the Computer Science Academy. The program began in 2019 and offers area students the chance to learn about computer science and engineering.
Andrew Mobley/Special to the Herald-Leader Student Teacher Carlos Hernandez (left) answers a question for Zachary Graziani at the Computer Science Academy. The program began in 2019 and offers area students the chance to learn about computer science and engineering.

John Brown University has brought back its Computer Science and 3D Printing academies for local middle and high schoolers this semester.

The two programs, which started in 2019, were interrupted and halted by the covid-19 pandemic. Now that covid-19 mandates have loosened, the programs are being taught on the JBU campus, with student teachers guiding participants on everything from coding using Python to 3D printing models.

The director of the Computer Science academy, Kat Shaneck, a junior English and Computer Science major, explains the beginnings of the program in 2019.

"My friend Matt Anderson, he brought the idea and I kind of made it happen," Shaneck said. "It was just me and Matt back then. We had about ten students. One of the students that we taught is now teaching with us, he goes to JBU and is a computer science major!"

She goes on to describe the process of resurrecting the program this semester.

"I went to a lot of meetings -- to make sure we could get our website up, get the word out to local schools, have people on staff, have the funding we need. (A lot of) talking to parents, (and) Dr. (Ted) Song," Shaneck said.

Song, the Department Chair of Engineering, Computer Science, and Cybersecurity and an Associate Professor of Engineering at JBU, oversees the two academies.

"We want younger people -- sixth graders to high school seniors -- to be able to imagine themselves as computer science professionals or engineers who design products for a company or research firm," Song said. "We want to give students the opportunity to taste what it's like to be a computer science professional or engineer."

Arkansas' Computer Science Initiative, spearheaded by Gov. Asa Hutchinson, has in recent years become a model for other states. In 2019, Gov. Hutchinson mandated that all public high schools in the state must offer computer science courses.

In March of this year, Gov. Hutchinson signed into law the requirement that all public high school students take a computer science course before graduating -- the requirement will begin in the 2022-2023 academic year.

Thanks to the initiative and $2.5 million in annual state funding (set to be increased to $3.5 million in 2022), Arkansas has become recognized nationally as the first state with a comprehensive state computer science program and is attracting IT employers.

JBU is reaching students that the initiative may not, however.

"We homeschool, so I had seen the program on a Facebook homeschool group initially, and that was prior to the pandemic," said Cheryl Dadras, whose daughter, Miriam, attends the computer science academy.

Despite the pandemic interrupting the academy's initial run, Dadras was keen to have her daughter, who is considering studying computer science in college, continue in the program, she said.

"I just stayed in contact with JBU and followed through to see if they were starting up again. It's great," Dadras said.

In the computer science program's initial 2019 semester, there were only five students. Today there are 30, with more on a waiting list. Matt Anderson, who originally conceived and created the academies along with Shaneck, is very optimistic.

"We're very excited for the next few years to see how it grows," Anderson said. "There's a lot we want to do with it."

Andrew Mobley/Special to the Herald-Leader Nazaria Jimenez (left) oversees Matthias Biedler at the JBU Science Academy. The academy gives area students the chance to learn about computer science and engineering.
Andrew Mobley/Special to the Herald-Leader Nazaria Jimenez (left) oversees Matthias Biedler at the JBU Science Academy. The academy gives area students the chance to learn about computer science and engineering.