’Repetition is super important’: Jacksonville high school student teaches STEM work to pre-K

JACKSONVILLE, Fla. — A local student is teaching children at an early age all about the cool parts of STEM learning.

Ethan Champion, 16, is a junior at Andrew Jackson High School.

“I like to play video games in my free time, and I like to make video games,” said Ethan Champion, a student not much older than the kids he’s now teaching.

“I’m going to teach you how to use computers,” Ethan told his students.

Ethan’s principal at Andrew Jackson High School chose him to teach pre-K and kindergarten students all about computers.

“They don’t have to read; all they have to do is understand -- this blue shape means move forward.

"Repetition is super important, especially when children are young,” Champion said.

Teaching students about STEM has become a top priority for two educators on Jacksonville’s northside.

Dr. Cynthia Smith is a Jackson High graduate who started Minds of the Future Academy.

She’s partnered with the school’s principal to bring more technology-focused programs to the area.

“We both win in this partnership, for sure,” said Andrew Jackson High School Principal Tracolya Clinch.

“I’m excited because the students are excited,” Smith said.

For the next several months Champion will teach students at Minds of the Future Academy what he is learning in the classroom, from video gaming to computer programming.

It’s something he says he loves to do and hopes to put on his resume when he graduates high school.

“It’s like every time that you learn something knew from somebody, it makes you want to share it more,” Champion said.

Champion says what he teaches doesn’t require coding experience, just a desire to learn and explore.

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