Participants at the workshop
As many as 120 high school students from 30 secondary schools in Qatar participated in Carnegie Mellon University in Qatar’s 5th annual CS4Qatar workshop.
The two-day event was organised by the university’s School of Computer Science.
“CS4Qatar is an outreach programme aimed to increase awareness and knowledge in the ever-expanding and broad-reaching field of computer science,” said Khaled Harras, computer science professor at Carnegie Mellon Qatar.
The participants were exposed to a variety of subjects in the field of computer science while engaging in discussions related to the exercises and the field as a whole.
The workshop, held at the Carnegie Mellon building in Education City, was designed to teach high school students about computer science and how it is applied to both academic and professional life.
The CS4Qatar workshop consisted of three rotating sessions. The first session focused on computer science-related puzzles, helping the students to practice basic problem solving skills and develop computational thinking skills.  The students were introduced to the concepts of data structures and algorithms which helped them to analyse and creatively solve computer science-related puzzles. 
The second session focused on programming using a graphical robots package to present Java programming in an interactive and visual way. 
Students were introduced to fundamental programming and object-oriented concepts using simulated robots in a hands-on approach, allowing students to grasp concepts quickly and see immediate and graphical results of their work.
The final session focused on robotics, introducing the students to the latest cutting-edge artificial intelligence concepts and robotics technology.
The students were given the chance to program a robot to complete a complex task. Participants received a certificate of participation at the conclusion of the workshop.
“My programming and computer skills have really improved and I would like to study computer science at Carnegie Mellon University in Qatar after I finish school,” said Shoug Shaheen from Al Wakra Independent Secondary School, who was attending the workshop for the second time.
The Carnegie Mellon School of Computer Science offers a number of programmes to reach out to youth in Qatar and encourage interest in the computer science field, including the upcoming Botball robotics tournament and the high school programming competition.
More information about these events could be had from http://www.qatar.cmu.edu/3061/programs-for-secondary-students