Students in Conestoga’s School of Applied Computer Science & Information Technology are helping build a community focused on technology and collaboration through a developer club supported by Google.
Students in Conestoga’s School of Applied Computer Science & Information Technology are helping build a community focused on technology and collaboration through a developer club supported by Google. T-B: Oleksandr Levinskyi, Gavin Abeele and Andrii Denysenko.
Launched in 2020, the Conestoga Developer Student Club is open to students from all academic backgrounds interested in exploring technological innovation to build real-world solutions. The club is among Google’s international post-secondary network of more than 1,500 official developer student club chapters in over 110 countries.
“Google’s Developer Student Club mission is to help students bridge the gap between theory and practice and keep up to date with current technologies,” said former club lead Oleksandr Levinskyi. “Over the last year, our membership grew to over 450 students engaging in activities that enhance skills and impact the community.”
Levinskyi, a Computer Programming and Analysis student, led the club during the 2021-2022 academic year after founding member Andrii Denysenko stepped down from his role in alignment with Google’s Developer Student Club terms. The program encourages the club’s core operating team to leave space for other students to develop leadership skills.
According to Levinskyi, Conestoga’s chapter was the most active Google Developer Student Club in Canada over the last year, hosting more than 60 peer-to-peer events that included hands-on workshops and speaker series with industry leaders, hackathons, networking, and solution challenges. Topics ranged from learning new technologies to finding a co-op position to coding sessions.
The chapter also collaborated with Google and other official developer student clubs to provide free learning materials to students, including professional Google certificates and badges to complement studies and enhance resumes.
“We’re looking forward to having more hybrid events this year,” said Gavin Abeele, the club’s lead for the 2022-2023 academic year and Bachelor of Computer Science student. “I want to focus on continuing to build the community, building friendships and networks, and learning along the way with like-minded individuals.”
Both Levinskyi and Abeele finished co-op work terms at the end of the spring term, returning to classes in September. In addition to curriculum that offers hands-on learning and co-op work terms that provide valuable real-world experiences, they also said they value the extracurricular activities available through the college that support development. The developer club, workshops, as well as other various clubs, societies and industry events, provide a well-rounded and solid foundation to build skills.
“When I started the club, I really hoped something like this would happen,” said Denysenko, who graduated from the Computer Programming and Analysis program in April. “I hoped the club would carry on, and it’s exciting to see Oleksandr and Gavin taking the lead and growing the program.”
The Conestoga Developer Student Club is sanctioned by the college’s official student association, Conestoga Students Inc., helping shape student experience. Students interested in joining the chapter or participating in events are encouraged to visit the Conestoga Developer Student Club page through Google.
Conestoga’s School of Applied Computer Science & Information Technology offers a 21st-century education with leading-edge programs that prepare graduates for exciting careers in the innovative world of information and communications technology. With a strong connection to local industry, project-based and work-integrated learning enable students to solve real-world problems and engage in new technologies that empower a professional journey in a rapidly growing sector.