Dear Parents,

Registrations for our Spring Semester have started!

What “Under the GUI” offers:

• Weekend Programming Classes in Game Development or Computer Sciences for ages 7 & up!
• Semi-private classes; maximum 6 students per instructor
• Laptops, equipment, and digital storage provided
• One-hour weekly lectures plus homework assignments, bonus tutorials, online student help and assistance through the UTG community forum
• Exclusive invites to special events and workshops with community partners such as Microsoft, the Richmond Public Library, and more!
• No coding experience required!

 

For those who enrol with us and register before December 31st, we have a $50 bonus for you!

Registrations will close after the second week of classes, in Feburary 2019.
For payments on site please check the dates available below.

If you have any question, please contact us via email or phone, and we will be happy to help !

 

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Under the GUI Student Makes Augmented Reality (AR) App Using Yu-gi-oh Cards

Marcus Gilbert – Grade 9

Marcus is an Under the GUI Academy student in the UN502 Unity class learning about Augmented Reality.

Marcus is thinking of creating an augmented reality card game using holographic images that will animate and attack other cards just like the real Yugioh series. His app makes use of the computers cameras and projects a hologram of an image whenever it sees a specific Yu-gi-oh card. Marcus’ favourite thing about coding at UTG Academy is making the app itself, and being able to apply his knowledge to other games like Dungeons and Dragons.

Marcus found the hardest thing about programming is figuring out the bugs that could come up and how to overcome those bugs. His advice to overcome these difficulties is to:

“Read what the bug was, and ask lots of questions and learn about the errors itself!”

Our young coders are truly becoming the wizards of the future, they can do anything.

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Learn more about our school coding for kids in Vancouver, and Vancouver Island. Kids learn in all technology sectors including Robotics, Engineering, Coding, and Animation.

We also have Tech summer camps happening throughout Vancouver.

Our coding & animation summer camp teaches Python and app development. This is intended for students who have no prior knowledge of Python and is a good introduction to real programming concepts and goes beyond the drag & drop coding interface. At the end of this camp, students will have created their own versions of their favorite apps that they can share online!

Our Robotics summer camp program will teach the basics of Arduinos, Raspberry Pi’s and making electronic circuit prototypes. From blinking LEDs to complex flying robots, this camp will teach students how to connect components on a breadboard and do basic Arduino programming to control them.

Our Engineering Olympics summer camp will introduce students of all ages to the exciting world of Engineering through a full week of competitions and engaging activities. Activities and challenges will include Giant Catapult, High Egg Drop, Popsicle Stick Bridge, Robotic Arm Transporter and more.

Condensed Courses:
During the Fall and Spring Semesters, limited registration for Condensed courses will open for those who missed our regular semester registration. The condensed course will be pro-rated and teach the same curricula as the regular semester but without work periods. The Condensed course will require more commitment during the week in order to finish the course project within a shortened period. Condensed courses are not guaranteed to open and will only open for registration based on interest and availability.

Policies and Conditions:
Learn more about our classroom policies, cancellation policies, absences and payment options here: 2018-2019 Policies and Conditions

 

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Michael Allan has been with UTG Academy for over 5 years and is now working in academic units in a range of different fields and technologies. Michael has dabbled in everything from mobile development to full virtual reality projects with UBC.

In 2017 Michael Allan was nominated to take part in the Immersive Technology Lab at UBC. At ITL, Michael had the opportunity to work with Dr. Ray Hsu and the HR Macmillan Space Center on the Rover VR Project.

“If you get code to work really well and look really nice, I think it’s more interesting than the game; just to look at all the intricacies.” – Michael Allan

Michael has an incredible academic aptitude for technology, and uses his abilities to help educate others working as one of our youngest teaching assistants UTG Academy.

When Michael is not attending school or working as a T.A., Michael’s ambitions stretch beyond academia supporting the PixelPAD team whenever he can find the time.

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Learn more about our school coding for kids in Vancouver, and Vancouver Island. Kids learn in all technology sectors including Robotics, Engineering, Coding, and Animation.

We also have Tech summer camps happening throughout Vancouver.

Our coding & animation summer camp teaches Python and app development. This is intended for students who have no prior knowledge of Python and is a good introduction to real programming concepts and goes beyond the drag & drop coding interface. At the end of this camp, students will have created their own versions of their favorite apps that they can share online!

Our Robotics summer camp program will teach the basics of Arduinos, Raspberry Pi’s and making electronic circuit prototypes. From blinking LEDs to complex flying robots, this camp will teach students how to connect components on a breadboard and do basic Arduino programming to control them.

Our Engineering Olympics summer camp will introduce students of all ages to the exciting world of Engineering through a full week of competitions and engaging activities. Activities and challenges will include Giant Catapult, High Egg Drop, Popsicle Stick Bridge, Robotic Arm Transporter and more.

Eyad Alwan is a Grade 6 student at Under the GUI Academy currently working on puzzle platforming app where you play as a ball and you have to try to collect yellow orbs.

Since Eyad’s started at UTG, he’s worked on all sorts of games from RTS games like Clash of Clans to now a platforming ball!

Here’s what he has to say:

What was the most difficult thing about programming?

(The most difficult part about learning programming is) remembering different lines of code, remembering what it all does, and how to put it all together. But it’s really satisfying learning how to get it all to work together.

How did you learn to program?

I got better at programming after learning how to solve my own errors. I found it very satisfying finding the errors and fixing them. Also, normally when you try to change something an error will pop up, when you fix one error, you get another one, and learning how to fix them all helped me become a better programmer.

What’s your favourite thing about coding?

I really enjoy seeing the final product, seeing the final app finished is really fun. It’s also really satisfying resolving all the errors that come up in my program.

I really like sharing my games with friends and family… It’s fun getting them to play my hard work!

Eyad says he continues to work on his game at home and will hopefully be done by the end of the year!

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Learn more about our school coding for kids in Vancouver, and Vancouver Island. Kids learn in all technology sectors including Robotics, Engineering, Coding, and Animation.

We also have Tech summer camps happening throughout Vancouver.

Our coding & animation summer camp teaches Python and app development. This is intended for students who have no prior knowledge of Python and is a good introduction to real programming concepts and goes beyond the drag & drop coding interface. At the end of this camp, students will have created their own versions of their favorite apps that they can share online!

Our Robotics summer camp program will teach the basics of Arduinos, Raspberry Pi’s and making electronic circuit prototypes. From blinking LEDs to complex flying robots, this camp will teach students how to connect components on a breadboard and do basic Arduino programming to control them.

Our Engineering Olympics summer camp will introduce students of all ages to the exciting world of Engineering through a full week of competitions and engaging activities. Activities and challenges will include Giant Catapult, High Egg Drop, Popsicle Stick Bridge, Robotic Arm Transporter and more.

First of all, what is Arduino? 

“Arduino is an open-source electronics platform based on easy-to-use hardware and software. Arduino boards are able to read inputs – light on a sensor, a finger on a button, or a Twitter message – and turn it into an output – activating a motor, turning on an LED, publishing something online.” In other words, a little programmable robot.

For those who are familiar with programming, it uses a simplified programming model based on the language C, which isn’t the easiest programming language to learn as a beginner, but there are hundreds of resources and tutorials online that will help you figure it out together.

 

So, why should my child learn Arduino?

Kids are naturally drawn to hands-on activities. Getting their hands on anything they can, try to take it apart and find out why things are they way they are. Kids can also be impatient and want (almost) immediate results. Robots can do just that. They can excite kids in a way “Hello World” can’t compete with, and kids can learn the power of cause and effect through robots and immediate results. Because Arduinos are super fast at prototyping and amazingly powerful, kids are able to hook up LED lights in matter of minute and control their behaviour. Teaching complex technology to children can be, erm, difficult but with a robot, kids are able to see, hear and touch their robot and learn directly by programming it, turning an abstract idea into reality. 

Arduino kits are ideal for kids because of it’s easy-to-use for beginners, yet flexible enough for advanced users. Breadboards lets you connect software and hardware together neatly, easily and temporarily. It lets kids experience and try things out without worrying about damaging expensive circuitry or computer parts. It also allows them to create and recreate robots to their imagination by connecting and reconnecting components.

 

Learn Circuitry (hardware) and Programming (software) together.

Kids can learn circuitry without understanding the complex theories behind electronics to start building their own robot. Explaining components and wiring can be done easily using diagrams and metaphors. They will also learn about common components for simple robots such as batteries, resistors, LEDs, transistors, current (voltage), loops and much more!

Programming an Arduino is as easy as it sounds. All we need to do is download the Arduino software, plug it into a computer, and write a few lines of code. The code is what determines the effects of the robot. For example, controlling the frequency of a blinking LED light or how fast a motor spins. Kids will learn how to set-up a robot, control it and compile code themselves.

 

Challenging your kids to question and think critically.

Working with robots will, to say the least, open up doors to a lot of questions. Each time they connect a component, kids will want to know why and how. This can open up discussions to a million different questions that can be explained in a million different ways. Kids can express their interest, curiosity and imagination.

 

How can my kids get hands-on experience with Arduino kits?

Under the GUI offers “Robotics, Circuits and 3D Printing” summer camps that give kids the opportunity to build their own robots by using Arduino kits. Camps are small-sized and provide hands-on experience for kids to learn about breadboards, circuitry and step-by-step processes to building a robot.  Kids will feel accomplished each day by adding more and more complex instructions to their robots! Best of all, they get to take their kits home with home after each camp!

Hurry! Spaces are running out quick. For more information about camps, visit: www.underthegui.com/camps/

Under the GUI also offers camps in “Coding & Animation” and “Mechatronics & Engineering Olympics” for kids ages 6 – 14.

 

 

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Saturday Classes: September 10 – January 21
Sunday Classes: September 11 – January 22

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Saturday Classes: September 10 – January 21

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Saturday Classes: September 17 – January 28

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Saturday Classes: September 17 – January 28

 

Thank you for your interest in Under the GUI.

Our regular and condensed semesters are now currently full.

Registration for the Spring semester (February – June 2017) will open in November.

Under the GUI welcomes Robin Kennedy to our team!

Robin Kennedy 
Web Manager 
A University of Toronto graduate in Kinesiology with a minor in marketing Robin travelled the world until he landed in Vancouver. During his travels Robin worked as a gold miner, development manager in a refugee camp and PR consultant for the Canadian government in France. He has now decided to trade in his board shorts and flip flops to run the Web management team at Under the GUI and is looking forward to the challenges of his new position. When Robin is not hard at work you can find him playing soccer, snowboarding or enjoying the sun picnicking at the beach.

Under the GUI welcomes Tahlia Mackinnon to our team!

Tahlia MacKinnon 
Administrative Assistant

Tahlia is a born and bred Vancouverite with a raging coffee addiction. She enjoys running, fencing, and kickboxing. Tahlia is currently attending l’Université d’Aix-Marseille to complete her Licence Histoire and is working with Under the GUI this summer so that she can make the most of her European adventures.

 

 

 

 

Spring 2016 Class Dates & Schedules

Madrona (Main School – Kitsilano)
#2050 W 10th Ave, Vancouver

Now accepting early registration for the FALL 2016 Semester

Condensed Spring Semester – FULL
Sundays, April 3rd – June 26th, 2016 – $420.00 + 5% tax

Click for condensed Spring Semester Schedule

Saturday & Sunday Classes – REGISTRATION ENDED March 5th, 2016
February 20th – June 26th, 2016

Click for Full schedule & Class times and dates

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KEY Admissions Strategy & Learning Enrichment (South Vancouver)
5th Floor, 5750 Oak Street, Vancouver

Now accepting early registration for the FALL 2016 Semester

Saturday Classes – REGISTRATION ENDED February 20th, 2016
January 30th – June 25th, 2016

Click for Full schedule & Class times and dates

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St. Alcuin College (North Vancouver)
Suite 200, 1046 St. Georges Ave, North Vancouver

Now accepting early registration for the FALL 2016 Semester

Click for condensed Spring Semester Schedule

Saturday Classes – REGISTRATION ENDED February 20th, 2016
January 30th – June 25th, 2016

Click for Full schedule & Class times and dates

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Pinetree Community Center (Coquitlam)
Room 1- 1260 Pinetree Way, Coquitlam

Now accepting early registration for the FALL 2016 Semester

Spring 2016 Semester – Saturday Classes -REGISTRATION ENDED February 20th, 2016
January 30th – June 25th, 2016

Click for the Full Schedule & Class times and dates

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Space is filling up fast! Register Now!

*Please note that all dates and availability are subject to change. Contact us at info@underthegui.com for the most up-to-date information and availability.