Students from 14 Iowa high schools will showcase their knowledge of supercomputer programing in the Adventures in Supercomputing (AiS) Expo on Wednesday.

“The main purpose for Adventures in Supercomputing is to integrate technology into the classroom in order to enhance curriculum,” said Saren Johnston, communication specialist in the Ames Laboratory’s Office of Public Affairs and Information.

Besides adding technology, the AiS program is a way to integrate different disciplines within the classroom.

“It gives the teachers a way to integrate math and science together, to let the students see how math and science fit together,” said Barbara Helland, assistant program director for Ames Lab’s Applied Mathematical Sciences Program, and AiS coordinator.

Helland said that math isn’t the only area where students develop.

“There is an emphasis on math and science, by there is no limit to what the schools do with the technology that is on loan. I know of one school where the students use the computers to access and read a Spanish newspaper,” Helland said.

Adventures in Supercomputing has also increased interest in computers and technology in communities where it has been implemented, Helland said.

“One example would be a school in southeast Iowa. Since AiS has been there, the people have raised over $70,000 for additional technology,” she said.

The AiS program was initiated five years ago through the Ames Lab with funding from the Department of Transportation, according to Helland. After defining a curriculum, applications were sent to every school in Iowa.

Helland said that teacher teams from the chosen schools attended summer workshops and brought the curriculum back to their students. It is these students that will be presenting in the Expo.

Funding for phase two of the AiS program has just been approved by the Department of Energy.

“Now we want to get more schools involved in the curriculum and more students in the Expo,” Helland said.

The AiS Expo is more than just showcasing projects, Helland said.

“The Expo is a place for the kids to come together to show these year-long projects and let them see what others are doing with the technology. It also enables us to see how the program is working,” she said.

The Expo will be held in the Great Hall of the Memorial Union. Public viewing will be from 10:30 a.m. to noon and from 1:30 p.m. to 3:00 p.m. The kick off for the AiS events will include opening remarks from Bruce Harmon, acting deputy director for the Ames Laboratory, at 9:00 a.m.