The annual Cultural and Academic Research Experience (CARE) workshop held a one-week scientific computing training session for the first time in 2022, in collaboration with the Four Corners Science and Computing Club.

CARE is an annual event led by Professor Naomi Lee (Department of Chemistry, Northern Arizona University) and Professor Joslynn Lee (Department of Chemistry, Fort Lewis College) for high school students of Native American ancestry and other groups underrepresented in science. Students are paid to attend this eight-week program designed to increase diversity and inclusion in STEMM fields through culturally relevant training in chemistry, biology, and healthcare fields.

Twenty computer and data sensor kits were prepared for this event, and students attended remotely (by Zoom) or in person on the NAU campus. Students attending remotely had computer kits shipped to them so they could participate in the hands-on activities, and they shipped these supplies back to NAU after the event.

Students wrote code in Scratch and Python, and wired data sensors and other hardware to the Raspberry Pi’s GPIO. This provided an introduction to physical computing and how computers enable modern science.

Multiple CARE 2022 alumni have expressed interest in scientific computing as a career based on their experiences at CARE. We have since had CARE alumni TA events for younger (middle school) students and participat in the 2022 4CSCC-led AISES College Hackathon (despite not yet being in college). One CARE 2022 student is currently (as of January 2023) beginning her high school engineering capstone project with 4CSCC, developing a mobile air quality sensor prototype that students will build in future 4CSCC workshops.