Introductory Programming with Python 

Join today
  • Instructors:  Sarah Clarke and Tannia Chevez
  • Level: Beginner
  • Duration: 6 hours
  • Helpers: Chris Geroux and Yashar Monfared 
  • Date:  March 4 & 6, 2025 | 1:00 – 4:00 PM (Atlantic)
  • Prerequisite: None
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COURSE DESCRIPTION
Join us for an engaging and interactive introduction to programming with Python. Whether you are a complete beginner or looking to strengthen your foundational knowledge, this session will provide you with the essential building blocks of Python programming.

Throughout these sessions, you’ll build a strong foundation in Python by learning how to write and structure code, work with different types of data, and create dynamic programs using decision-making and loops. You’ll also explore how functions help organize your code and how libraries can expand your programming capabilities, making it easier to tackle more complex tasks. This hands-on experience will give you the confidence to start coding and problem-solving effectively.

You do not need to have any previous knowledge of the tools that will be presented or previous programming experience but intermediate level experience with a computer is highly recommended.

You do need to have a laptop with a Mac, Linux or Windows operating system (not a tablet, Chromebook, etc) on which you have administrative privileges, as you will need to pre-load specific software packages.
SETUP REQUIREMENTS
  • See instructions for how to download and setup Python here.

Meet our team!

Sarah Clarke

Instructor/Host

Digital Training Specialist
MSc Computational Chemistry, Dalhousie University

Sarah, based in Nova Scotia, joined ACENET in 2023. She has a range of teaching experience and held regular teaching assistant positions. Passionate about scientific literacy, Sarah has developed teaching materials and taught programming and robotics to youth in St. John's. She has also led professional development workshops for teachers, focusing on digital skills. For her MSc in Computational Chemistry research, she focused on interfacing crystal structure prediction methods.

Tannia Chevez

Instructor/Host

Digital Training Specialist
BSc Computational Chemistry, Memorial University

Tannia joined ACENET in 2023 and is based in St. John’s. She has held positions as a research assistant in various departments, with responsibilities ranging from developing algorithms for an online animal sound repository, to crafting chemical composite films. Proficient in Python, Java, and JavaScript, she has focused on spectral data analysis, SEM image-based nanoparticle detection, and software development for data analysis. Tannia contributed significantly to the publication of a research paper by analyzing potential environmental toxicants, generating millions of chemical structure IDs, and conducting data extraction and analysis using Python, R, and JavaScript, as well as enhancing algorithms for simulating potential environmental toxicants’ behavior in water, soil, and air environments. Tannia’s teaching experience includes a Leader Instructor at Brilliant Labs where she taught a range of digital topics, and a Digital Literacy Instructor for the Association for New Canadians.

Chris Geroux

Helper

Research Consultant
Ph.D. Astrophysics, Saint Mary’s University

Chris has been working in HPC since 2005 and joined ACENET in 2015. He is based at Dalhousie University and has a focus on cloud. For his PhD he developed a C++ code to model stellar convection using the OpenMPI framework for parallelism. He also was an associate research fellow at the University of Exeter. Since joining ACENET Chris is been involved in developing the national cloud documentation and is a member of the cloud national team.

Yashar Monfared

Helper

Research Consultant
Ph.D. Electrical and Computer Engineering, Dalhousie University

Yashar joined ACENET in 2023 and is based in Nova Scotia. With a Ph.D. from Dalhousie University in Electrical and Computer Engineering, he has extensive experience managing research projects, developing curriculum, and teaching in various disciplines. His research focused on optical systems, nanomaterials, and their applications in various fields. Yashar has secured academic grants, published over 40 research articles, and instructed courses at multiple universities.