Sharings from mentors
All courses at VLA are jointly chosen or co-created by students and their parents. VLA actively invites young people to give talks, share their knowledge and insights, and serve as mentors for one another. At the same time, VLA welcomes parents to design and teach courses for the students, introducing their professions and the expertise required in their fields. It is a space where parents and children grow together — in every group of three, there is always something to learn from one another.
Video of 2025 summer session summary
Review of 2025 summer sessions
2025 Summer Sessions Summary
In the era of AI and information explosion, cultivating information literacy and data literacy among young people is not only a fundamental learning and life skill but also the cornerstone for future studies in Computer Science and Data Science.
During the summer of 2025, VLA offered two introductory courses designed to inspire and prepare youth for these emerging fields: AI and Robotics, Data Analysis & Visualization. At VLA, Parents are actively working to equip attendants with the skills they have and worked as volunteer to share their expertise & support to the youth.
Mr. Borui Li, from George Brown College in Canada, specializes in robotics, automation, and interdisciplinary teaching. This course introduces students to the history of AI, explores the integration of AI and robotics through cutting-edge topics such as brain–computer interfaces, and discusses the ethical dilemmas of AI development. In the future, advanced modules will be offered for students interested in university-level AI + robotics and automation practice.
Yewen He affectionately known as Teacher Alissa, is a veteran expert in China’s big data industry, a data competition judge, and a bestselling author in the field. The course covers the fundamentals of data analysis and visualization, interpretation of global best-case studies, and hands-on practice with Tableau software—guiding students to create a one-page data dashboard. In the future, this course will align with high school Data Management and Statistics curricula, with the goal of helping students earn the internationally recognized Tableau Data Analyst Certificate.
All courses are delivered in both English and Chinese, combining technical knowledge with bilingual terminology learning. The summer course content has been uploaded to YouTube, and you are welcome to follow VLA’s official video channel for course previews and the latest updates.
This event reflects VLA’s vision and mission: fostering equality between adults and teenagers, encouraging parents and children to participate together, and engaging everyone in discussions about new technologies, emerging trends, and classic works of the humanities.
Courses Introduction
SESSION 3
How to use Tableau to visualize your data?
August 3, 2025
Mentor Yewen He introduced the session and explained that they would be using English due to the software's origin and for easier understanding of dog names.
Yewen He Teacher presented various dog breeds using images and asked participants to guess the breeds. Discussions included characteristics, origins, and suitability for families with children.
She demonstrated how to use Tableau software to visualize data about dog breeds. Participants were guided through opening the software, importing data, and creating visualizations based on different criteria such as size, life expectancy, and friendliness to children.
SESSION 2
What is inforgraphic?
July 13, 2025
Mentor Yewen He reviewed the content of the last class, focusing on data visualization in Excel. Topics included conditional formatting and formula calculation functions.
Introduction to Infographics: He Yewen introduced the concept of infographics, explaining that they are visually rich and informative.
SESSION 1
What is data visualization?
July 6th, 2025
Introduction to Data Visualization:
Mentor Yewen He introduced the concept of data visualization and explained how it helps people understand data faster than using their brains. Examples and Demonstrations: She used various examples, such as a satisfaction survey table, to demonstrate how data visualization works.
SESSION 4
Augest 31st, 2025
Mentor Yewen He invited Grade 9 student Celine to share her APP then discussed the importance of building a data story using personal data.
Youngsters discussed that Celine's APP was a great example of data collection.
Yewen He used 3 examples to explain what is a good data story.
Case 1: Emotional Response Survey
Case 2: Stepping in on Up with My Best Friend
Case 3: 115 Moments in Ink