We organized the Computer Science Summer Camp 2023 of the University of Kansas, with 34 enthusiastic high school participants from different states. The camp offered a unique opportunity to get introduced to the intricate world of computer hardware. The students participated in two different groups for two consecutive weeks. This camp provided a hands-on, game-based introduction to electronic hardware and the key principles of system operation. The hands-on games provided engaging, thought-provoking, and collaborative learning. Students experimented with hardware platforms to understand the underlying physics (e.g., signal propagation, switching of transistors, sensors) and mathematics (e.g., bits, Boolean algebra, logic gates) of computing. We wanted to show that computer engineering isn’t just about software – hardware is important too. We emphasized the essential role that hardware plays in executing software and highlighted the promising future of the field, particularly in light of the CHIP and SCIENCE Act.
