Written by Bella Bozied

In April 2025, College of Communication & Information (CCI) students traveled to FSU’s Panama City campus to table at the 2025 Tech Expo. The expo was put on by the Advancing Science and Career Education in New Technologies (ASCENT) group, which works to uplift and amplify the IT crowd on campus and emphasize the T in STEM.

Hundreds of K-12 students and parents attended the event, which offered robotic, Minecraft, and other interactive technology-based activities. CCI students planned, set up, and ran six technology and innovation-based stations, with each station intertwined with different angles of technology to have something for everyone.

Working Together: AI QuickDraw 

Heath Davis, a Criminology student, and Julia Sveen, an Information Technology (IT) master’s student, ran the Google AI QuickDraw station. Students were able to experience an AI-powered system firsthand by following a prompt, drawing it, and seeing how fast AI can guess what was being drawn.  This station allowed students to engage in a fun and safe way with AI, while recognizing the different uses of the system.  Davis said, “Being a part of this trip and helping at the Tech Expo was an awesome experience. I was a little nervous, but once we started working with the kids, everything I was worried about totally melted away because of how fun all the participants were. Working the AI table and seeing the kids really get into the systems and games, and then being able to explain how it all works, was so much fun. My favorite part of the trip was walking around and seeing how excited the kids were to learn about tech and science!”

Which is Real: AI Real Face Identification Game

At the second AI station, participants would quiz themselves to see if they could correctly guess which photo was AI-generated and which one was real when presented with two side-by-side images. Orion Qualls, an IT master’s student, and Khylle Valle, an IT student, ran the station. Participants walked away with a better understanding of what AI is and what it is not through the patterns and certain styles of AI being highlighted. Both AI stations were presented to students and all participants as safe and engaging ways to interact with AI and get a leg up on how the systems work. As well as AI’s potential and future implications. “The students were amazed and really engaged with the AI content,” explained Qualls. “A lot of them came back multiple times, asking how the tools worked and wanting to interact with them again. That level of curiosity and excitement was one of my favorite parts of the whole experience. It made me proud to represent STARS and help bring awareness of STEM to the younger generation in such a fun and approachable way.”

Your Parents’ Technology: Old Tech

IT student Javin Vance ran the Old Technology station where participants could discuss and handle a range of older technology to explore the evolution of different technologies. The technology included Apple products like iPhones and iPods, typewriters, vintage cell phones, floppy disks, old DVDs, and more.

Many students were drawn to the electric typewriter and fascinated by the loud and rhythmic clicking of the keyboard when writing a sentence, but typically commented that they couldn’t imagine always writing on it or having to do homework with it. The different technologies allowed people of all ages to see how technology has and continues to evolve.

What can I make Next: 3D Printing

The 3D printing table was packed to the brim with 3D prints of all different designs. The station allowed students a hands-on experience with a collection of objects printed at FSU’s Innovation Hub. From mechanical gears to artistic models and even a 5-foot T-Rex, attendees learned about the endless possibilities of 3D printing technology. Vedant Satwik, an IT student, described the 3D printing brainstorming, designing, and printing process to all participants while engaging with them at the hands-on station.

All the Possibilities: STEM Personality Explorer Quiz

Participants could also engage in their future career path based on hobbies, personal, and academic interests, with a quiz that STARS students made. The quiz walked participants through various questions regarding their favorite subjects in school, how they enjoy passing the time, and more. The quiz helped participants, especially students, to think about their interests and goals and then see what their strongest skills are. This can assist them as they further work to network and pursue a career they enjoy and will find career success and personal fulfillment in. Public Health student Victoria Valko and creative writing and studio art student Leah Pagan engaged students by walking them through the priorities of the STEM personality quiz. Victoria and Leah have an interest in IT and are frequently connected with CCI events.

“I have extensive experience working with kids in athletic environments, but doing so in an academic environment was enriching in a different way,” said Valko. “I enjoyed talking to different children from different backgrounds and ages about what they like to do (or don’t like to do) and communicating with their parents. I even took the quiz to show the participants and find information on myself – I enjoyed being able to relate to the kids that scored similar to me and learning from kids who scored very differently from me.”

To Infinity: Planetarium Space Exploration

Ava Downes, a Cyber Criminology and Computer Science student, and Bella Bozied, a Strategic Communication master’s student, assisted in setting up and running the Challenger Learning Center’s blow-up planetarium station. The two STARS members walked participants through the many perspectives of space by asking guiding questions and providing real-world examples to make the science more digestible for participants of all ages.

Students would enter the Planetarium to watch an immersive video showing different constellations, planets, and other parts of space and how they are identified. The station encouraged students to think deeper about the sun, stars, and moon they look up and see so often.  Members enjoyed working with participants of all ages and engaging everyone with different technical and STEM activities.