Thirty-four elementary and secondary school students attended New Mexico Tech’s Tech the Halls holiday program on Nov. 23, 2024, to engage in hands-on STEM activities that combined computer programming, engineering, and creativity.

Utilizing Adafruit Circuit Playground, a versatile microcontroller, to develop custom light displays and program festive music, the participants, in grades 4-10, used MakeCode Blocks to gain practical experience in programming tailored to their skill levels.

Once their projects were complete, they enclosed their programmed circuits in transparent plastic ornament balls and decorated them with paints, glitter, and other festive materials, transforming their technical achievements into personalized holiday keepsakes.

NMT sophomore Cody Johnston, computer science major, developed and planned the concept with support from Ely Knowles, a computer science faculty member. The event was sponsored by the Randolph Computer Science Education Endowment.