First Steps with Arduino: Our Introductory Workshop

This week, our high school students took their first steps into the world of programmable electronics with our introductory Arduino workshop, part of our after-school classes in Trujillo.

The main goal was to connect theory with practice. We started by explaining the basic components: the Arduino UNO board, LEDs, resistors, and breadboards. The excitement in the classroom was palpable when the first LED blinked following a code they wrote themselves.

Materials Used in the Session

• Arduino UNO R3 Starter Kit (per team)
• LEDs of various colors and 220Ω resistors
• Breadboard and jumper wires (male-to-male)
• Computers with the Arduino IDE installed
• Step-by-step exercise guide and circuit diagrams

Basic Code Snippet

void setup() {
  // Initialize digital pin 13 as an output.
  pinMode(13, OUTPUT);
}

void loop() {
  digitalWrite(13, HIGH);   // Turn the LED on
  delay(1000);              // Wait for a second
  digitalWrite(13, LOW);    // Turn the LED off
  delay(1000);              // Wait for a second
}

Seeing the satisfied faces of the young people when they made their creation respond to their instructions is the very reason for our academy. Educational robotics is not just about technology, but about developing logical thinking, problem-solving, and teamwork.

Our next module will advance to controlling sensors and motors. Spots for the next cycle of computer science classes and robotics for youth are now open. For more information about our programming academy in Trujillo, you can visit our contact page.