Overview

The Upward bound Math/Science Program runs during the regular school year with meetings after school and on Saturdays. Students who participate in Math/Science program get a chance to experiment and research the two subjects (Math and Science) in greater depth.

However, this year the students were able to try something different from the things done in previous years. With the dedication of the students and the help of their instructors, Dave Wolczyk and Byron MacKenzie, 31 students were able to build their own computers. Computers which work! Yes, they work!

The goal this year was to provide students with information that would help them build and maintain their principal tool of the 21^st century--the computer. And in order to do this, the students had to learn the basics about computers, as well as the essential elements that would help them maintain and upgrade their computer so that it can last us through the rest of their high school years and college.

--Edgar (click to preview his web page)

History

Last year's math/science class studied genetics and they were planning on going on a class trip. Instead of spending money on the class trip, they decided to spend the money on computers since they were about the same cost. The Upward Bound staff then tried to get approval from Washington D.C. to be able to buy computers for the students. Last year's first attempt in buying computers for students was not a very good success. For educational benefits, the Upward Bound staff decided that the students in the Math/Science class should build the computers instead of buying the computer already assembled. Washington D.C. said that if there were to be a computer design and assembly course, it would be okay to use the money to buy computer parts for the Math/Science students to assemble their selves.

In the beginning of the Math/Science course, Dave and Byron were only able to buy parts for a total of 24 computers only. There were more than 24 students taking this course, so many students were worried about who gets a computer and who does not. Later in the course, Dave and Byron announced that they were able to buy 6 more for a total of 30 computers. This was possible because the computer parts seem to cost less than what they expected and also that there was more money from last year.

Lectures and Labs

Dave and Byron have committed their time in preparing their presentations on various topics about computers for the upcoming class lectures and labs. Every Tuesday, they gave lectures at Cleveland and on Thursdays, at Nathan Hale. Every Tuesday or Thursday, Dave and Byron discussed the topics presented on the powerpoint slide show. The topics that were discussed each week varied from electricity through the physical parts of a computer. On Saturdays, students attended labs at the University of Washington. There, students practice on assembling different parts of a computer. The instructors have spent many hours preparing the lectures and the labs. Dave states, "We worked for so long that one time we even seen the sun come up. Sometimes we worked so long preparing for a lab that we only had enough time to take a shower and go to sleep when we got home."

--Roann (click to preview her web page)