On Monday June 17, 2024, the National Innovation Centre for Data (NICD) inspired over 240 school children from six local Newcastle primary schools during the ‘Building Blocks’ event at Newcastle Helix.
The event, designed to ignite interest in STEM (science, technology, engineering, and maths) fields, featured 40 interactive workshops, including an engaging 30-minute session led by our expert data scientists at NICD.
Exploring the world of Data Science
Dr Antonia Kontaratou, a Data Scientist at NICD, along with fellow Data Scientist Akash Kumar, MSc and Outreach Manager Angela Craggs, led the children on an fascinating journey into the realm of artificial intelligence (AI) and data science. The session captivated the young participants with interactive and enjoyable activities that introduced them to the fundamentals of data, AI, and machine learning.
The children learned about the various types of data—numbers, photos, audio, and text—and discovered how data scientists use tools like computers, code, and charts to find patterns and trends. They also explored how data science can be applied to a whole host of industries, including healthcare, manufacturing, finance, entertainment, and agriculture.
Interactive AI Activities
One of the highlights of the session was an AI-powered game that demonstrated the creativity and potential of AI. The children participated in a telephone game where they generated an image from a given phrase using AI. They then worked in teams to guess the original phrase from the image and created their own images based on their guesses. This activity showcased the fun side of AI while illustrating the importance of clear communication and teamwork.
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Team answers were put through a sentence similarity model to determine the winner.
Inspiring future innovators
The session left a lasting impression on the students. Finn, age 10, from Walkergate School, shared his excitement:
“It’s been absolutely amazing and really exciting. I’ve been doing coding at school, and all the activities have been great, especially the AI and coding activities. I’d really like to use data as an archaeologist or as a chemist or scientist in the future.”
Lily, also aged 10, from Walkergate School, expressed her enthusiasm for coding:
“I really enjoy coding. I started in Year 2 at school doing Scratch and would love to work in maths and coding when I’m older, maybe programming electric cars. Today has been great - it’s such a cool building and really creative space.”
Angela, NICD Outreach Manager added:
"It was great to see so many of our wonderful primary school children attend from the local area. The pupils from all schools were amazing; they were engaged and enthusiastic, taking part in the NICD workshop, learning about data science, and using AI to generate images as part of the game. We are proud to have been part of a fantastic week, organised by super-connector Charlie Charlton and her team."
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A collaborative effort
The ‘Building Blocks’ event, part of the TechNExt Festival, highlights the collaborative effort between Newcastle Helix and various organisations to inspire the next generation of tech professionals.
Charlie Charlton, Community Engagement Manager at Newcastle Helix, described it perfectly: “There's something very special about 'Building Blocks'. When else would 9 and 10 year-olds have the chance to get hands-on with tech activities during a typical working day in a busy building full of scientists. Never!”
“These children can soak up the real-life atmosphere of an innovation site that's on their doorstep. It sparks their imagination about what their future could actually look like by studying or working in the North East.
"Newcastle Helix is not just a location; it's a community and is about the future. This includes being part of talent pipelines for the wider science and tech sector. ‘Building Blocks’ is something the Helix community is proud to support and plug into the wider North East connections between education and industry.”
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