During the week of July 7th, the Translational Data Analytics Institute welcomed students entering grades 7 through 9 for its annual Data Science Summer Camp, a hands-on immersive experience centered around the exciting world of data science and artificial intelligence (AI). 

Throughout the week, students had the opportunity to visit numerous places around campus including the OSU’s museum of biological diversity, the Arne Slettebak Planetarium, amongst other activities such as collecting data using the apps inaturalist, seek, and merlin.

 The students also heard from a range of guest speakers including OSU researchers, faculty, and staff on a variety of topics ranging from Pokémon and probability to AI ethics to the data lifecycle, and more! These interactive sessions encouraged students to think critically about how data and AI shape the world around us.

The week came to a close with a final presentation day where the students used a real dataset to apply what they had learned throughout the camp. On Friday, July 11^th, they proudly presented their findings to peers, family members, and TDAI staff.

"The week of camp is the most exhausting and also the most rewarding thing I do the entire year. The first hours of camp are the absolute quietest before the students start feeling comfortable and getting to know each other. By the end of the week, everyone’s personalities are shining through and that really shows in their group presentations," says Amber Pasternak, TDAI staff and co-director of the camp.

The camp is co-directed by Amber Pasternak, Program Coordinator for Education and Outreach at TDAI, and Dr. Asuman Turkmen, Professor of Statistics in OSU’s College of Arts and Sciences. Their dedication to planning, designing engaging activities, and guiding students through their projects made the week and unforgettable success.

Thanks to the generous support of campus and community partners, the camp is offered free of charge, ensuring that access to data science education remains inclusive and inspiring for all. 

To learn more about the Data Science Summer Camp, or how to support it, please visit https://tdai.osu.edu/education/data-science-summer-camp.