The workshops at the King County Enrichment Lab are designed around creativity, not competition. Each session encourages experimentation while introducing real programming concepts through playful projects!
Our workshops run in short cycles, once a month. It is usually 2 hours long and you can drop by anytime!
Since mentors are working side-by-side with students rather than standing in front of the room, this creates a very casual, hands-on environment for both students and mentors alike; all can freely inquire, discuss ideas, and collectively test new project ideas.
Materials
In addition to learning coding techniques, students will also learn to be creative problem solvers and collaborative team members by the time we finish.
We begin most classes with a small concept (such as how to get something to move or how to have a sound play). Then, students build upon that concept and apply it to their own project ideas. In some workshops, we’ve even allowed students to create short animation projects using sound and color; for example, students were able to create short animated rhythm projects where the color and shape would react to sound.
To help keep our focus on creating and being creative, and away from setting up the tools, we use well known tools such as Scratch and web-based editors for a great deal of our coding activities. We allow students to take other student’s projects and remix them while adding their own creative twist. The mentor is always available to offer suggestions to the students as they continue to build their project ideas, while assisting the students in connecting the concepts they are learning to the project(s) they want to create.
Our Reflection
The workshops work because they turn learning into collaboration. Students build together, test together, and share small successes that reinforce confidence. The King County Enrichment Lab proves that when programming meets creativity, education becomes less about syntax and more about imagination.
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