2026 ASEE Annual Conference & Exposition

A Community Joint Effort to Inspire K-12 Students to Study in Computing Disciplines in the Age of Artificial Intelligence

Presented at Pre-College Engineering Education Division (PCEE) Poster Session

This paper summarizes three computing workshops for K-12 students sponsored by IEEE Computer Society, the findings of K-12 students’ learning and experiences of these workshops and the project team’s reflection on K-12 outreach. The BAD (Byte-A-Dynamo) is a series of workshops to support students (ages 10-16), especially from low-income families in Maryland who have no or very limited computing background or experiences to explore the computing fields especially in the age of artificial intelligence (AI). The participants had opportunities to learn basic Python coding and AI-assisted coding skills, introduction to cybersecurity, and team-based Science, Technology, Engineering, Art and Mathematics (STEAM) projects infusing Arduino into art pieces. A mixed method was used to evaluate participants’ learning outcomes and experiences of the workshops. The three free computing workshops planted seeds to inspire students to explore computing fields according to the evaluation results. The recruitment strategies, and pedagogies of the three workshops could be a model for other computing and engineering educators, researchers of higher education and K-12 teachers. The hosting team plans to continue to broaden the impacts of computing and engineering K-12 education on a larger scale of participation.

Authors

Promise Owa Northeastern University
Ruby Lo Northeastern University
Yike Li
Maggie Pang Case Western Reserve University [biography]

Maggie Pang is an undergraduate student at Case Western Reserve University studying computer science. She has conducted research analyzing social media data using tools such as Python, R, statistical modeling, and AI-assisted annotation, contributing to interdisciplinary projects that bridge computer science, psychology, and education. Maggie is a co-author of multiple research papers presented at conferences including the IEEE Integrated STEM Education Conference (ISEC) and the ASEE Annual Conference & Exposition, where her work explores how AI and data-driven approaches can be integrated into K–12 education to enhance critical thinking and digital awareness.
Helen Tianyang Qin
Brandon Sang-Zheng
Julieanne Qi
Amelia Hope Song [biography]

Amelia Song is a student in Clarksville Middle School. Her role in the Byte- A- Dynamo (BAD) workshops is taking care of logistics and a peer mentor. She is also the state winner of Maryland for the Presidential AI Challenge in 2026.
Don Herres
Sherwood Luke Olson
Dr. Huihui Wang http://orcid.org/0000-0002-4098-5313 Northeastern University [biography]

Dr. Huihui Wang is a Full Teaching Professor and Director of Computing Programs of Khoury College of Computer Sciences at Northeastern University in Arlington, VA. She was a Program Director at the NSF since August 2021 until June 2024. She was a tenured Associate Professor and Director of Cybersecurity Programs at St. Bonaventure University and the Founding Department Chair of Engineering at Jacksonville University, FL.

Note

The full paper will be available to logged in and registered conference attendees once the conference starts on June 21, 2026, and to all visitors after the conference ends on June 24, 2026

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