What Interests High-School Students?

Jim Willis asks: "Our IT Division happens to be populated with some civic-minded people who are interested in making time available for local high-school students interested in science and technology. Question is, we're not sure the best way to do it. We're mulling around the idea of sponsoring a robotics competition or some sort of programming fair/competition. Unfortunately, we've been out of high-school long enough to not know what excites students about technology. Slashdot readers (esp. those of you in high-school): Where should we focus our attention and donate/volunteer our time?"

Sex Drugs and Rock and Roll

[glrotate]

Involve one of the three and you're ok. Two and you're set.

Metric System

[sbszine]

American kids are already very interested in the metric system. Perhaps some sort of competition to see who can measure out a gram blindfolded?

Well, duh...

[Nailer]

What interests high school students?

Breasts.

That's easy

[Lev13than]

High school nerds are only concerned with one thing: using computers to get the girl [imdb.com]. Just make sure you put the contacts on the Kelly LeBrock doll, not the rocket.

You are a high school student?

[elhaf]

You're in high school, and you can actually write? I mean, without abbreviations or anything? How did you DO that? Really! That's quite an impressive writing piece for something you just whipped up for slashdot. You've restored my faith in the school system.

Re:Metric System

[Anonymous Coward]

Ask anyone in America if they know how many kilometers in a pound!

Re:I am a high school student

[Zycom]

I have to disagree with you in regard to the robotics competition. At my high school, we have a very active FIRST team and the other students seem impressed by the robot, though half of them want us to mount weapons of some sort on it. I think it would be a lot harder to hook someone with programming than it would be with robots. Sure, they're impressed by what YOU can do, but that doesn't mean they necessarily want to spend their time learning C.

Robotics, on the other hand, is multifaceted. They can program if they want to, but maybe they would prefer to do the wiring or just put the chassis together. Hell, they can even put stickers on it if they want. You're much more likely to keep a bunch of hormone-filled ADD-afflicted teenagers interested if they're doing something more than stare at a screen.

Re:video games

[nomadic]

They also are always doing their drugs and drinking their alcohol. Maybe you can incorporate that into the workplace.

Teenagers and Science? Easy = Hydroponics

[JPamplin]

Just get them to try to design a chamber with the fastest plant growing potential. I guarantee you that they will be interested.

To grow various types of plants, of course. Herbs for their kitchens, I'm sure. ;-)

Re:I am a high school student

[DJDutcher]

You know the TI-85 has the conversion from Celsius to Fahrenheit built into it. :)

Re:video games

[Geoffreyerffoeg]

Request to moderators: Mod down anyone who says "I know I'll be modded down for this."

You do realize that you're saying that in every post, right?

Re:Well, duh...

[Anonymous Coward]

mmm...fried chicken...

wait, did you mean something else?

Re:I am a high school student

[Eric Savage]

If that's true then I'd say this guy is already on track to being a professional developer.

Re:Metric System

[Anonymous Coward]

Look, crankypants, why don't you just go attack a mirror for a while? Next you'll be deriding the metric system because it was invented by, you know, the French.

Re:Best of Both Worlds!

[speaker4thedead]

Surprisingly, the authors of the program were listed as perfect matches for all of the cheerleaders!