TAU students empower youth through computer science

“I want to be the first in my family to go to college,” announced one of the youths at the “Teaching Computer Science in the Community” closing ceremony. Growing up in a low socio-economic neighborhood with few academic role models, he had never given much thought to his long-term plans. However, after participating in Tel Aviv University’s interactive computer science course, he felt renewed motivation to take his studies seriously.

The “Teaching Computer Science in the Community” course grew out of the need to expose underprivileged youth to higher education in Israel: “Our role is to show them that university students are ordinary people and that they have the option as well,” explains head of the program Prof. Benny Chor of the Blavatnik School of Computer Science. “We are planting the seed.”

Old-Fashioned Learning in the Digital Age

Surprisingly, no computers are used during instruction. The purpose is to convey the fundamentals of computer science – concepts that will be relevant 20 years from now regardless of constantly changing technology. Instead, participants learn diverse topics, such as how information travels, through creative exercises and puzzles. By giving youth the tools to visualize and understand basic concepts, they develop critical thinking skills that will benefit them in all fields.

Over 200 youth participate in the course each year, and this past semester, TAU students led special classes for disabled and at-risk youth. The program has been pivotal in connecting Tel Aviv University to the outside community. Significant partnerships have formed and the reaction from school principals and site leaders has been enthusiastic.

Gaining Invaluable Teaching Experience

According to Assaf Zaritsky, a PhD candidate at the Blavatnik School of Computer Science who leads the program’s activities, “the course does not only benefit the youth but the TAU students as well. The instructors learn how to communicate their passions and reach out to children of all different learning abilities.”

For example, TAU undergraduate student Adam Zeira was initially nervous at the thought of standing in front of junior high school students and requested to team-teach with another student instructor. After a successful first year of teaching, however, Adam decided to sign up again: this time alone. Engaging students and challenging them to think critically proved both exciting and meaningful. He realized that he had a love for teaching, and having gained the initial classroom experience, he felt confident that he could lead a class on his own. “The improvement that a single semester of lecturing can bring is nothing short of amazing,” reflects Adam. “It's a fun, unique experience.”