Informatics Circle
The Informatics Circle is a recurring interactive event for kids aged 7-14 that introduces them to concepts from computer science, much like the Edinburgh Maths Circle does for mathematics.
What is it?
The sessions present new topics as fun puzzles, to inspire children to think about the world in a computational way! Previous activities include sessions on binary numbers and machine translation, click on the links below for examples of these:
Activity - Translating the Agta Language
We usually divide the attendees into two age groups (7-10 and 11-14) so we can pitch our lessons at a suitable level. Previous events have been held online using Zoom and the interactive virtual environment gather.town although we consider to hold in-person events in the future.
Newsletter
Eddie, Emelie, Isobel, Lauren, and Oli created a newsletter sent to Informatics enthusiasts in August 2022, right before the new school year. You can find it by clicking on the link below.
Link to Informatics Circle Newsletter Vol. 1 (.pdf)
Why do we need it?
We want to teach kids about computational thinking and not just about computers or programming. It has been said “Computer science is no more about computers than astronomy is about telescopes.” Participants won’t need any particular software or hardware (other than their home computer if it’s online), so our sessions are accessible – you just need a pencil and paper (and maybe access to a printer to print the activities)!
Who are the organisers?
The events are run by a diverse team of staff and students who share the belief that bringing computer science concepts to a wider awareness is important. All organisers have PVG checks, and most are STEM ambassadors.
The current team includes:
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Ronald Cardenas Acosta
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Agostina Calabrese (she/her)
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Shay Cohen
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Lauren DeLong
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Yanna Peixoto Colmerauer Dos Santos
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Elaine Farrow
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Faheem Kirefu
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Oli Liu
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Peter Macgregor
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Rimvydas Rubavicius
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Eddie Ungless (they/them, he/him)
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Emelie Van De Vreken (she/her)
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Isobel Voysey
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Thomas Webster
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Zheng Zhao
How can I stay informed about future events?
We have a mailing list you can join to stay informed about future events, just email us to be added.
Email inf-circle-organisers@mlist.is.ed.ac.uk
Can I join the team?
We are always looking for people who are interested in planning new activities and running the events. If you want to participate in this project, contact the Informatics Circle organisers using the button below.