BDPA Students Demonstrate STEM Skills at BDPA Southeast Regional High School Computer Competition

The BDPA Southeastern Regional High School Computer Competition (HSCC) was held on Saturday, June 18th, at IT-oLogy, a local sponsor of the event. BDPA Greater Columbia chapter hosted the event with participants arriving in South Carolina from as far away as Atlanta, Charlotte and Raleigh/Durham. The regional HSCC championship is a warm-up for the national HSCC championship held August 3-6, 2011 at the National BDPA Technology Conference in Chicago.

BDPA is an internationally recognized organization of IT professionals whose goals include preparing young people who are interested in becoming the next generation of 'Information Technology Thought Leaders' in academia and Corporate America. The regional and national HSCC championships are part of the BDPA science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM) pipeline summarized in its motto, 'From the Classroom to the Boardroom'.

Each year BDPA chapters across the country offer website and database design classes to middle and high-school students. In addition to technical subjects, students are also exposed to soft skills training, current technology topics and speakers from various professions.

At the national level, BDPA hosts a computer competition at its annual conference and each chapter is invited to bring a five-member team to compete. Winners at the national level are rewarded with scholarships and sponsor-donated items, up to and including laptop computers.

For students who are not on competition teams, the National BDPA Technology Conference holds a Youth Technology Camp where students attend seminars and hands-on workshops on technology, entrepreneurship and soft skills topics offered by leaders in their fields. The X-Box competition workshops are always a favorite.

This year’s BDPA Southeast Regional HSCC featured 38 students, representing 19 middle and high schools from Georgia, North Carolina and South Carolina plus over 30 instructors, chaperones, parents and spectators. The competition consisted of a written test, oral team round-robin test and a web/database design problem – all timed.

BDPA Atlanta Wins 1st Place

Winners of the 2011 SE Regional HSCC:

1. BDPA Atlanta
2. BDPA Triangle
3. BDPA Greater Columbia
4. BDPA Charlotte

For more information about the BDPA Southeast Regional HSCC you can contact BDPA Greater Columbia chapter president Phyllis Coleman at (803) 414-2461.