Data Science for Kids

Data Science uses statistical methods and computer programming to extract meaningful stories from data. Pretty cool, huh, considering the sheer amount of data that we are collecting these days? In this camp, students will learn about the importance of this amazing new field, one of the hottest in the world. Learn how to write simple code using R, how to tell stories using visualization tools, basic stats and machine learning. Designed and delivered by UBC professors and PhDs, leading experts in the field, specifically for kids in grades 6-9.

When and Where?

Monday August 11 - Friday August 15, 2025.

1:00-4:00pm.

Location: The Vancouver Independent School for Science and Technology (VISST) - 1490 West Broadway,Vancouver, BC.

Who?

This camp is for students going into grades 6-9.

Why should you attend?

Earn a certificate of completion from the Vancouver Independent School for Science and Technology.

Data Science is an interdisciplinary field that combines statistics, math, programming, story telling and visualization: Perfect for those who like both science and art.

Data Science is one of the fasted growing industries in the world. The sheer amount of data companies and organizations collect is mind boggling.

Learn from the best: This camp is designed and delivered by leading Data Scientist in the field from the University of British Columbia.

What will you learn?

Basic programming in R: What is data science? Let’s write our first line of code in R and create mosaic art using programming (small individual project).

Data wrangling and visualization: What is a function? We will learn about story telling using histograms, scatter plots and bar plots.

Introduction to frequentist statistics: What is mean, median, mode and standard deviation? We will learn about sampling, bootstrapping and hypothesis testing.

Introduction to machine learning: What is machine learning? Students will select a data set to run KNN (K-Nearest Neighbours) with more than 2 variables.

Neural network and AI: What is AI? Students will play a physical neuron board games, ask a chatbot to write code and discuss the ethical ramifications of AI in society.

Program Requirements

If you want to borrow a laptop from us, we have a VERY limited number available. Please email us to request one.

We recommend that parents create a free ChatGPT account in advance for the students to use, although this is not mandatory.

Students should try to install R and R Studio (see: https://posit.co/download/rstudio-desktop/) prior to camp.

Students should bring their own laptop.