WSSU Center for Applied Data Science hosted a 2-day workshop for area high school students
The Center for Applied Data Science (CADS) at Winston-Salem State University hosted the 2023 Day Data Science Workshop for High School Students in early March. The workshop was funded by a grant from University of North Carolina System and received support from Hanes Brands, Inc.
During this two-day weekend workshop, students were exposed to the expertise of data scientists in various arenas such as academia, government, and industry. The event included an overview of data science, a panel presentation about opportunities and careers in the field, hands-on activities, CADS student research presentations and a keynote address by Dr. Che Smith, Senior Analytics Engineer at Netflix about “Using Data Science Powers for Good.”
Dr. Debzani Deb, founding director of CADS, said “The field of data science is ever-broadening, yet many underrepresented students lack exposure to data science. It is important for them become skilled with the terminology and the foundational concepts behind big data problems and applications.”
Dr. Felicia Simpson presents information about data science to high school students.
Workshop co-organizer Dr. Felicia Simpson, chair, and associate professor of mathematics, said “In addition to providing high school students with exposure to career options in data science, we wanted to highlight the programs offered at WSSU, boost enrollment in the programs, and increase the number of WSSU graduates who will secure gainful employment in STEM disciplines.”
The high school students who attended offered positive feedback. One attendee said, “I wanted to explore my options on my career, and this really helped me a lot. I want to come to WSSU and major something in math. This workshop was a great experience meeting new people and having new connections.”
When asked about plans for next year the workshop organizers said that they will continue their community outreach efforts, attempt to expand the audience beyond Winston-Salem/Forsyth County high schools, and investigate offering the workshops to students from surrounding counties.
Find out more about CADS and WSSU’s Data Science programs.
