Ask Slashdot: How Can I Make a Computer Science Club Interesting? 265
plutoclacks writes "I will run a computer science club at my high school next semester with two other friends. The club was newly introduced this school year, and initially saw a massive success (40+ members showed up at the first meeting). Unfortunately, participation has decreased a lot since then, down to four active members. I feel that the main reason for this decline was the inability to maintain the students' interest at the beginning of the year, as well as general disorganization, which we hope to change next semester. The leaders of the club all have fairly strong Java backgrounds, in addition to enthusiasm about computer science and programming. We have a computer lab with ~30 computers, which, though old, are still functional and available for use. What are some ways we can make the club have an impacting interest to newcomers?"
Do something for the school: (Score:5, Interesting)
(Re)Design your website.
Create a course-management tool.
Try to use Moodle.
In general, a year-long project that will have a lasting effect on your high school.
Robotics (Score:2, Interesting)
Build an autonomous Ardurover. That will raise lots of interest.
Step #1: toss Java. (Score:5, Interesting)
Step #2: understand that Computer Science isn't the same as Computers.
Step #3: decide what the current club members want to do.
Redesign the school web site? Robotics? Arduino/RasPi hacking? Learning new languages? Etc etc.
Installing FreeDOS and writing graphics programs in C that directly write to the VGA memory while controlling the sound "card" is an interesting first project. You learn a lot about the h/w, too. Then there's manipulating the FAT in assembly, banging bits out of the serial and parallel ports, etc, etc.
Invite speakers (Score:4, Interesting)
Find some interesting guys in your neighborhood who are doing interesting things.
Try the local businesses, colleges, IEEE chapter, etc.
That's a "speaker" who comes in to describe his work, but then you spend an hour just hanging out with him or her.