K–5 coding contest empowers young innovators to tackle real-world water challenges

Wednesday, April 23, 2025

The Department of Computer Science at Kansas State University, under the leadership of Safia Malallah, teaching assistant professor of computer science, recently hosted its first large-scale K–5 coding contest, a vibrant and inspiring event that brought together young learners, families, educators and volunteers for a day full of innovation and fun. With generous support from Department Head Scott A. DeLoach and the Kansas Data Science Consortium (KDSC), the event marked a major step forward in early STEM engagement.

This year’s theme, “Water,” was inspired by the Kansas EPSCoR Gling project and focused on real-world water challenges. Students explored issues like water quality, water recycling, smart use of water and saving water, using block-based coding platforms such as ScratchJr and Scratch to build interactive solutions.

The event followed a mini-hackathon style format, where children and their families gathered for seven hours of coding and creativity in a single day. With guidance from mentors and volunteers, students designed their projects on-site and presented them to a panel of judges. Top participants received exciting prizes, including a PlayStation 5, making the experience both educational and memorable.

Designed to be developmentally appropriate, the contest encouraged computational thinking, environmental awareness and creative problem-solving among early learners — many of whom were coding for the very first time.

In addition to Malallah, the contest was organized by computer science faculty members Hande McGinty, Lior Shamir and Priyanka Gautam, who all worked to make the event a meaningful, inclusive experience for all.

The success of the contest was made possible thanks to the commitment of volunteer judges who lent their expertise and encouragement. A special thank you also goes to the student and parent volunteers who helped bring the event to life.

The day concluded with awards and celebrations, but the greater success lay in witnessing what’s possible when young learners are empowered to explore, create and problem-solve with technology.

“We’re proud to be nurturing the next generation of creative problem solvers,” Malallah said. “This event showed that even our youngest students can contribute meaningful ideas to big challenges— while having fun doing it.”

The K–5 coding contest serves as a powerful model for early STEM outreach and a reminder of the importance of inclusive, hands-on learning experiences that prepare students for the challenges of tomorrow.