Community Tech Events: The Unseen Scene
STEM education has never been more crucial. Yet there are gaps in what happens at school that can only be filled with the help of extracurricular events. Community technology events allow children, young people, and even adults to meet like-minded folks and gain some real hands-on experience in the realms of coding, robotics, and more. If you’ve ever been to one of these events, you’ll know how engaging and inspiring they can be. But do you know what goes on behind the scenes?
It’s All in the Planning…
Like most events, looking effortless on the day usually means there’s been a ton of planning in the background. Figuring out a suitable venue can be the first big challenge. Is it accessible? Is it easy to get to? Then there’s liaising with the venue to make sure there’s enough space and resources to run the event in the most efficient and educational way, whilst still being a fun day out for families to get engaged with technology. Beyond this, there’s transport, logistics, advertising, and so much more to arrange before the event can go ahead. You can guarantee that if an event feels well organised and easy-going on the day, that the planning in the lead up to it was full on!
Making Connections
With groups like Girls Into Coding, a lot of what we do is based around inspiring girls in STEM to reach higher and further. Some of how we do that is to engage successful women in tech to come and speak, run workshops and offer help and advice on what’s out there for our aspiring girls in tech roles and beyond. Of course, it’s not always so easy pinning down wildly successful women who have full schedules and a hundred daily demands on their time!
Making those connections is really important, as kids being able to see what they want to be can be the first step in realising that what they want is truly achievable. That’s a real gift to give any youngster — living proof that tech education and events not only pay off but can lead to great, fun, remarkable things.
Finding the Resources
Of course, having amazing people is a key factor at any technology event. But when it comes to the amazing benefits of hands-on learning, having the right resources is also crucial. Behind the scenes, a ton of work goes into making sure community tech events are engaging and accessible. This might mean ensuring there are enough workstations, buying components, sourcing specialist equipment, plus liaising with workshop facilitators to see what they’re going to need on the day to give the best results.
Fit for Purpose
Beyond having the right people and the right tools, there’s also the challenge of making sure any tech event is fit for purpose for the age group or ability group it’s aimed at. It’s no good having a room full of “coding for beginners” workstations if every guest is an expert coder! Organisers have to decide who is going to get the most out of their events and plan accordingly. The best community tech events will either provide for a range of ages and abilities or make sure via their advertising and social media that potential guests know what to expect.
Testing it Out
Another crucial aspect of planning tech education events is to make sure everything will actually work on the day. It’s very embarrassing for organisers if keen kids turn up in droves only to find that the most popular workstation has crashed or that components don’t work. Plus, it’s frustrating for the families that have taken the time out of their day to get involved. This is why testing the tools and tasks set out for attendees is so important. To be honest, it’s possibly one of the more fun aspects of planning a community tech event. It’s not just the kids that enjoy getting to grips with new technology!
So, who does all this amazing hard work behind the scenes? Well, you might be surprised to know that it’s just everyday people who are passionate about technology and STEM education, and who want to bring out the maker in all of us. Parents, teachers, mentors, siblings, and of course, the kids themselves can all be instrumental in the careful planning that goes into events like tech workshops. Even on the day, the hard work doesn’t stop. Setting up everything for an event like this then packing it down carefully can take longer than the event itself!
I’ve now been to a number of community tech events for adults, kids, and girls in tech. Each one has been an amazing opportunity to learn and be enriched by the experiences at these events, which only happens because of all the hard work behind the scenes. I have a huge amount of respect and admiration for every single person who puts so much time and effort into these invaluable events.
Have you ever been to a community tech event? Share your experiences with us!
