When it comes to events about technology or the industry in Cornwall, Software Cornwall is always there either on banders or hosting the event. They have been in network events like Kernow Dat where local tech companies come together to discuss their business, ideas or hold presentation about their journey to discovering new ideas.
However, I recently experienced one of their Tech Jams where I volunteered as an assistant to help run the event. Meeting people of various ages from children to young teens to middle aged adults, working on their personal projects or introducing them to activities where they could learn how to program electronics using Arduino or Raspberry Pi. One of the other activities was about using Python to hack Minecraft allowing them to control the environment, one of the children I helped was able to use the instructions given to them to spawn in an entire village using only the code they wrote. Their last activity was called Mission to Mars where people could work on an Arduino Mars rover to try and get it to meet the requirements that the ‘contractor’ wanted.
The rover itself was a part of a much larger event that Software Cornwall also hosted called “Mission to Mars” which was an event specifically for schools to help introduce people to the tech industry in Corwnall as well as team working skills and Agile. This is an event I will also be helping out in a few weeks’ time.
When it came to children their language and tone was inexperienced as they were quite new to code, however I had met teenagers who were working on their personal projects creating simulations using Python and Pygames, such as simulating water and sand or trying to create their own personal networks. Their tone and language ranged from being able to explain their code and theory very well without over complicating things while other went into great depth where at time it was hard to follow due to how complex their works was, but all the same they were happy to talk about their work. The same was for adults bringing in their personal projects, many being very happy to show off their work and the progress they have made. As for me and other volunteers we had to always stay positive and point people in the right directions when they were experiences difficulties.
The community was mostly about helping each other out or showing off their work, with a variety of newcomers and familiar faces. Interactions were quite mixed as mentioned before volunteers were talking to people to make sure they were fine, but besides that people usually either kept to themselves or talking to one another via friends or people who know one another from work.
Software Cornwall is partnered with a software development company called Head Forwards who tend to help host the events, but that hasn’t stopped people from other local tech companies helping out or joining in, one of the mangers from Bluefruit Software, brought their children to show them to Raspberry Pi and how to program electronic with it.
When it came to rules, their much really, when people came in, they were show activities they could do, or they were given desks for them to work on their personal project but mainly it was quite free.
As for volunteers we would have to try and interact with the people as much as possible, making sure people were doing well and help them out were needed, or try and understand their thought process when working on a new feature.
Conclusion
Looking at Software Cornwall and what they do for the local tech industry, they do a very good job at introducing people of all ages to an industry that is not very visible in the county. In addition, by using Tech Jams to introduce children to software and electronics at a young age, it can potentially introduce them to skills they have a talent for while allowing them to develop them early and get a career they really enjoy.
As for me being a volunteer has been helpful with my communications skill, despite the fact that I may not be doing well at communicating, when things do work out and the person, I am helping is happy it makes the whole endeavour worth while.
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