By Rene David Basulto - Monsignor Edward Pace HS
Photographer: COURTESY PHOTO
Geek Week attendees Antonio D’Agenzio, Joshua Dubon, Noah Florin, Eduardo Gabriel, Alexandra Perez, Andrew Sanchez, and Alexander Moore watch as a Microsoft Store employee (third from right) demonstrates a 3D printer.
MIAMI GARDENS | Middle and high school students tried their hand at coding, visited an Internet traffic hub and yes, even played video games, during Msgr. Edward Pace High School’s first ever Geek Week, a summer camp focusing on computers and technology.
Hedda Falcon, lead teacher for Pace’s Academy of Emerging Computer Technologies, led the camp, which took place June 16-20.
For the first three days, students took part in an app development workshop on the Pace campus led by Microsoft Evangelist James Quick. Quick’s lessons and techniques for creating video games certainly found receptive ears, as most students played Minecraft and World of Warcraft on the school’s PCs during the downtime after camp field trips.
On June 19, campers went on a most unique field trip as they navigated layers of security before taking a tour of NAP of the Americas, Verizon Terremark’s premier facility and where most of Latin America connects to the Internet. Students received a tour of the state-of-the-art telecommunications headquarters that connects South America and the Caribbean to the rest of the world.
On the camp’s final day, the geek crew received a tour of the Microsoft Store in Dadeland Mall. This ended up becoming much more, as it coincided with the launch party for Microsoft’s new Surface Pro 3 laptop/tablet hybrid. Students got to learn about Microsoft’s innovative products, watch a 3-D printer demonstration, and even play video games.
“It was a fun experience and I met a lot of great people,” said Alexandra Perez, a junior at Pace.
Joshua Dubon, a middle school student, said his favorite part was “playing on the computers at the Microsoft store.”
Near week’s end, some students were overheard begging Falcon to make next year’s camp a two-week affair.
As part of its regular curriculum, Pace High School offers four academies geared toward specific fields of study: Emerging Computer Technology, Mass Communications, Visual and Performing Arts, and Health Science/Emergency Medical Sciences. For more information, call 305-623-7223.
Hedda Falcon, lead teacher for Pace’s Academy of Emerging Computer Technologies, led the camp, which took place June 16-20.
For the first three days, students took part in an app development workshop on the Pace campus led by Microsoft Evangelist James Quick. Quick’s lessons and techniques for creating video games certainly found receptive ears, as most students played Minecraft and World of Warcraft on the school’s PCs during the downtime after camp field trips.
On June 19, campers went on a most unique field trip as they navigated layers of security before taking a tour of NAP of the Americas, Verizon Terremark’s premier facility and where most of Latin America connects to the Internet. Students received a tour of the state-of-the-art telecommunications headquarters that connects South America and the Caribbean to the rest of the world.
On the camp’s final day, the geek crew received a tour of the Microsoft Store in Dadeland Mall. This ended up becoming much more, as it coincided with the launch party for Microsoft’s new Surface Pro 3 laptop/tablet hybrid. Students got to learn about Microsoft’s innovative products, watch a 3-D printer demonstration, and even play video games.
“It was a fun experience and I met a lot of great people,” said Alexandra Perez, a junior at Pace.
Joshua Dubon, a middle school student, said his favorite part was “playing on the computers at the Microsoft store.”
Near week’s end, some students were overheard begging Falcon to make next year’s camp a two-week affair.
As part of its regular curriculum, Pace High School offers four academies geared toward specific fields of study: Emerging Computer Technology, Mass Communications, Visual and Performing Arts, and Health Science/Emergency Medical Sciences. For more information, call 305-623-7223.
Photographer: COURTESY PHOTO
Msgr. Pace High School’s Geek Week participants sit for a photo while on tour at NAP of the Americas. Pictured: (Sitting, from left) camp attendees Gabriel Ponce, Eduardo Gabriel, Alexandra Perez, Antonio D’Argenzio, Francisco Pinagel, Andrew Sanchez, Alexander Moore, and Alexander Florin. (Standing, from left) camp attendees Noah Florin, Joshua Dubon, and Pace alumnus and chaperone Marcos Mirabent.
