Tech Fair 2022 Sparks Excitement for ALCS Creators

Alta Loma Christian School hosted its fourth annual Technology Fair on Wednesday, May 11—with the theme “Created to Create”—on a special Tech Fair Showcase Day featuring student creations in grades 2-8.

All Tech Fair projects have now been uploaded onto the ALCS school website, and can be seen at https://alchristian.com/alcs-tech-fair/

From coding to physical computing, graphic design to video production, ALCS students submitted original
STEM/STEAM projects to showcase their creative talents and mastery of technology-based tools.

Classes then signed up in 30-minute blocks to see and interact with each of the Tech Fair entries in the main
Computer Lab on Wednesday.

And the inventive, innovative, and imaginative minds of ALCS’ kids and their creations did not disappoint.

“As always, the kids have blown me away,” smiled ALCS Director of STEM Education, Ms. Jasmine Royse. “We had students show up with projects that look like they were engineered by professionals…a retractable sai (hey, Ninja Turtles fans!), a programmed Foxy (from “5 Nights at Freddy’s”), and a 900-frame stop-motion video, just to name a few of the incredible projects. I can’t believe I get to work with and learn from these kids. They’re the absolute best.”

“Honestly, I was profoundly impressed with our students’ Tech Fair projects,” said ALCS Computer and Technology Teacher, Miss Amanda Munoz, who also served as the Tech Fair Coordinator. “You can see the amount of time and dedication each student took to perfect their craft…and they presented exemplary work.”

“Our students step their game up every year!” praised Mr. Justin “Coach” Royse, ALCS Director of Technology and Media. “Considering last year’s Tech Fair was virtual and we didn’t hold one in 2020 due to the pandemic, it’s amazing how quickly our learners picked up right where we left off and made our return to an in-person showcase unforgettable.”

Continued Coach Royse: “And I was especially impressed by how many second graders completed a project! Second grade is the youngest grade we allow to participate in the Tech Fair, and to see so many of them excited and courageous enough to put their creativity on display right next to middle schoolers…it makes me excited and hopeful for our up-and-coming generation of future leaders.”

One of the overriding philosophies of ALCS is to look as far over the horizon as possible to see what challenges students will face in the future as they become adults and enter college and the workplace, in order to begin equipping and empowering them now. That includes being ready to compete for future jobs, 80% of which don’t even exist yet, according to researchers and leading business and organizational leaders.

The Tech Fair is one more strategic component at the school to help ALCS’ kids develop their almost limitless potential. The annual event is a great opportunity for students to join their artistic and creative skills with technology-based tools, producing original creations that display their unique talents and abilities as God’s children.

“Every time our kids engage in this kind of opportunity, they are learning, and learning at elevated levels,” noted ALCS Head of School, Dr. Vance Nichols. “And as they learn new things, they find that their wonder and interests lead to success—even while working through their initial failed attempts—and that motivates them to keep learning and mastering new things and enjoying the process.”

Students who participated in the Tech Fair were encouraged to present creations that not only showcased their own abilities, but also provided opportunities to collaborate, encourage each other, and develop ideas to serve the local community, all in the spirit of God’s grace and compassion for His people.

“The most beautiful part of the Tech Fair is seeing students combine their digital strengths, personal interests and God-given creativity into a project that makes them proud, confident and poised,” explained Miss Munoz on the day of the showcase. “Today’s Tech Fair provided a glimpse of God, as the ultimate Creator, and when He finished His work He declared it good. Today, you could clearly see in each student’s face that what they’ve created was declared good.”

Completed projects were turned into Miss Amanda Munoz (ALCS’ computer and technology teacher), prior to the Fair. The projects were then displayed in the Computer Lab for classes to view and interact with this past Wednesday after chapel.

Parents were welcome to support participants by helping them brainstorm, develop ideas, and/or review their final projects. However, parents were discouraged from contributing their own technical skills to the project itself, as student projects were intended to display the skills, creativity, and talents of the students and the students alone.

2022 Projects

Graphic 3D Design

Connor (2nd grade): Minecraft design in TinkerCAD

Gabriella & Emmy (2nd grade): Eiffel Tower design in TinkerCAD

Jackie & Ava (2nd grade): Paris design in TinkerCAD

Katie Ann (2nd grade): Minecraft creation

Sky & Mason (3rd grade): Character creation in TinkerCAD

Zawadi and Noah (3rd grade): Minecraft creation

Mikey Martinez (7th grade): Minecraft creation

Animation