In today’s society, technology has become inseparable from almost all aspects of life. It brings great convenience to our lives, explaining the rising popularity of STEAM (Science, Technology, Engineering, Arts, Mathematics) subjects. To provide a more diverse and comprehensive environment for exploring the trend and development of STEAM education, Cyberport, International Coding Education Foundation, and the Hong Kong Association for Computer Education will jointly hold the two-day “International Coding Education (ICE) Festival” themed “Empowering Future Tech Leaders” from 21 to 22 May. It is hoped that via a myriad of virtual activities, the public can learn more about STEAM, and communication can be fostered among teachers, students, and the educational field.

In Hong Kong, many schools organise STEAM-related extra-curricular activities, or even incorporate them into the curriculum, to prepare students for their future. Gathering students, parents, teachers, scholars, and experts from Hong Kong, Macau, and Taiwan, ICE Festival 2022 will offer a comprehensive platform for peer interaction. It will feature 4 major events, including keynote speeches, thematic panels, seminars, and fireside chats. Participants can freely join any activities, exchange their ideas with speakers and guests, and share their thoughts, helping promote the popularisation of STEAM education.

ICE Festival certainly does not only cover content on programming. We have also invited experts from different fields and domains, including professors from local universities and higher education institutions, founders of indoor hydroponics farms, and chief executive officers of virtual banks, etc. Topics for discussion range from how to promote STEAM education, artificial intelligence, and financial technology, to the internet of things, sustainable technology, and the future of women in the technological industry, hoping to bring participants a brand-new experience.

Apart from talks and seminars, we also offer a series of free online workshops for students and parents to take part in, enabling participants to acquire STEAM-related knowledge while enjoying parent-child bonding time at home. In the Indoor Hydroponics Workshop, tutors will not only introduce participants to hydroponics, but also explain how the internet of things enables farmers to monitor the data of crops remotely and accordingly formulate future plantation strategies. Participants can follow the instructions of the tutor and have fun, giving planting a try at home with the cotton and seeds provided by LearnRoot, a local organisation providing hydroponics education.

Starting from the second ICE Challenge, students from Taiwan can also partake in the competition, bringing it a step closer to becoming an international competition. This year’s ICE Challenge offer three competitions under the themes of programming, game development, and virtual reality. It is designed to put students’ creativity, computational thinking, problem-solving skills, and speaking techniques to test, so as to allow cross-disciplinary learning through STEAM education. The winners will share with us their learning experience and thoughts at the Award Presentation Ceremony to be held during the ICE Festival, creating room for more exchanges among students.

If you would like to sign up to participate in the ICE Festival or learn more details, please visit https://bit.ly/icefestival2022. Please also like and follow us on Facebook and Instagram for the most updated information.