26 Spring / Printemps 2017 teachers and librarians can then incorporate elements of the workshops in their own classrooms, science fair projects, lunchtime clubs, and other activities that enhance the STEM curriculum. The best teachers plant the seed of embedded systems for students and use the network of IEEE volunteers to help address questions beyond their expertise in the subject. Such was the case when Mr. Striemer introduced Arduinos for his students after attending a few workshops at the UofM, and later contacted IEEE to address the specific need of interfacing a GPS to an Arduino. As high school students become more engaged in electronics and want to attend workshops outside of school, it is not uncommon for their parents to drop them off, check out the place, meet the instructors, and ask questions. The most common questions have to do with purchasing components locally, recommendations for educational kits, and safety concerns. If parents are looking for mentorship opportunities, the tendency is to refer the students to a group of professors at the university who coordinate activities, meet with the students, and suggest projects. As they say, it truly takes a village to raise a child. The workshops at the Winnipeg Public Library attract many hobbyists that can be often categorized as those wanting to learn something new about embedded systems versus those seeking advice on specific projects. The first group is eager to learn and maximize their time playing with hardware during the workshop. Their questions focus on hypotheticals for projects, capabilities of the system, and comparisons to other popular development boards like Arduinos and Raspberry Pis. In contrast, the second group of hobbyists comes prepared with questions that can dominate the workshop by asking about their specific project. These questions can involve anything from help to solve an interface issue to more advanced design decisions. In these cases, it is up to the instructors to defer those questions for after the workshop and use their judgment when answering questions without a full understanding of the system. The events held at the university attract post-secondary students and practitioners. In general, the assumption is that the audience has some limited background in programming, electronics, and mathematics so instructors adjust by providing more theory and concepts rather than low level examples. The feedback from students is that the workshops complement the classroom education through hands-on activities, learning to use new tools, and information on how to set up development environments. The advanced sessions often attract practitioners with varying levels of experience. The junior engineers often use the activities as part of their Engineer- In-Training education requirements, while some of the more senior engineers are often interested in getting a quick tutorial of new tools that they read about in magazines. In any case, the advanced workshops are often eligible for credit with Engineers Geoscientists Manitoba (EGM) as long as the instructors send an outline of the activities covered to the association in advance of the workshop. The volunteer instructors use the workshops to share their knowledge, prepare material, and practice their communication skills. In addition, those involved with organizing the event get lots of experience in management through planning, tracking budgets, funding proposals, advertising, and more. These activities help prepare instructors for many responsibilities they will face in industry, while also giving them an excuse to purchase new components, test development tools, and build prototypes for different machines. From the Section perspective, the workshops keep student members engaged as they transition to Young Professionals and allow the instructors to develop leadership skills for taking on new positions within IEEE. Beyond the specific benefits for different stakeholders, there are many heartwarming personal stories from the workshops that include the bonding between a grandfather and his grandchildren over Arduinos, watching parents and children learning together, and witnessing many “eureka” moments. Ultimately, one hopes that the activities will have an impact beyond the workshops. The appreciation and exposure to the field will play a role beyond the classroom, help demystify what engineers and scientists do, and encourage a sense of experiential life-long learning. And, hopefully not too far into the future, the widespread understanding of computing will enables us to walk into our local coffee shop and think of someone writing an essay on their laptop as being ubiquitous with working on an embedded systems project. ■ Acknowledgements Workshop Hosts: University of Manitoba, Red River College, WinnipegSchoolDivision,WinnipegPublicLibrary,Skullspace. Workshop Presenters: John Aird, Mahmoud Alzaibaq, Kane Anderson, Benjamin Bergman, Ahmad Byagowi, Troy Denton, Arash Fazel-Darbandi, Pawel Glowacki, Sean Iftody, Paul Jarrow, Erik Johnson, Eric Karr, Emerich Kovnats, Mike Lambeta,KevinLamothe,GregLinton,Andrew Lister,Kathryn Marcynuk, Matthew McQuaker, Matt Moncek, Mohamed Temam Nasri, Craig Nemeth, Kiral Poon, Marc Roy, Mark Roy, Dario Schor, Matthew Sebastian, Frank Serafin, David Stewart, Chelsea Taylor, Maryna Tsybulska, and Matthew Woelk. Workshop Sponsors: IEEE Canadian Foundation, IEEE Winnipeg Section, University of Manitoba, Red River College, Shell Canada, Manitoba Aerospace, WISE Kid-Netic Energy, University of Manitoba Amateur Radio Society (UMARS), University of Manitoba Space Applications and Technology Society (UMSATS), and University of Manitoba Student Union (UMSU). Special Thanks: Degrees Restaurant at the University of Manitoba for allowing us to convert the restaurant into our lab away from home for an afternoon. Café of 2025? ✔ Photo: David Lipnowski