COBA's Camp IT Success

COBA's dean, Dr. Kamal Hingorani (photo credit: David Campbell/ASU).

ASU’s Camp IT is Huge Success; Hundreds of Middle School Students on Campus; Spurring Interest in Information Technology and the University. 

By Kenneth Mullinax/ASU 

Approximately 270 middle-school students were recently on campus to participate in Alabama State University’s Camp IT, which is sponsored by the University’s Dr. Percy J. Vaughn College of Business Administration (COBA). 

The purpose of the annual outreach event is to heighten and expand the students' interest in all things related to information technology (IT) and computers, explained Dr. Kamal Hingorani, dean of COBA. 

“Our effort with Camp IT has taken place over the last 10 years in our sponsoring the event with the Montgomery Area Chamber of Commerce Tech MGM program, so we may bolster the interest in and the depth of information being disseminated concerning IT, computers and other S.T.E.M. (science, technology engineering and mathematics) subjects to the area’s middle school students,” Hingorani said. “Our activity in this program also compliments Alabama State's outreach and admissions effort by bringing a diverse group of high-performing pre-college students on campus, which helps broaden their interest in this area of study and expose them to ASU’s acclaimed IT and related computer curriculum -- hopefully causing them to consider attending ASU.” 

STUDENTS FROM NINE LOCAL SCHOOLS

The hundreds of students attending Alabama State University’s Camp IT, represented seven middle schools in the Montgomery Public Schools (MPS) system: Brewbaker, Capitol Heights, Johnnie Carr, Floyd Middle Magnet, Goodwyn, McKee and Southlawn. Students from Dunbar-Ramer in Ramer, Ala. and from Montgomery’s St. James School, also participated. The students were divided into groups of 10 to give them more individualized attention and insightful instruction.

The different topics taught by the University's professors and instructors included computer/PC repair; introduction to computer hardware and components; a demonstration of taking apart a desktop PC and reassembling it; graphic design; introduction to Apple KeyNotes; Apple Sphero and robotics; cybersecurity; software development and much more.

GOOD FOR STUDENTS AND ASU

Dean Hingorani believes the program is good for both the MPS students who attend and for Alabama State as the event’s host. 

"Our Camp IT continues year after year to spark an interest and fulfill a desire for increased knowledge and information sharing for the middle school students who attend it," Hingorani stated. "The University also learns from the feedback we get from the students, which allows us to fine-tune our program offerings and curriculum , which allows us to attract the very students whom we desire to one day attend ASU and to major in these subjects."

News media contact: Kenneth Mullinax, 334-229-4104.

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