These High Schoolers Are Proving That Anyone Can Learn Quantum Computing
By Kiran Johns
Quantum computing used to be a field dominated by graduate students, postdoctoral researchers, and beyond. Many assume that advanced knowledge of quantum mechanics and mathematics is required. But these high school students are proving that anyone can get started with quantum computing.
Qiskit has been training the next generation of quantum innovators by organizing world-class programs like the Qiskit Global Summer School. Additionally, last year, members of the Qiskit team worked with the Coding School’s Qubit by Qubit initiative to teach quantum computing to high school and early undergraduate students, ensuring that they’re equipped to enter this quickly-maturing discipline. Quantum computing is a highly interdisciplinary field, and early exposure to these concepts ensures that students will be successful should they decide to study it in university.
“Most of the physics taught at the high school level is classical, so experience with quantum computing early can give students exposure to concepts in quantum physics in a concrete manner as applied to computation,” said Abraham Asfaw, Global Lead of Quantum Education at IBM Quantum. “This will hopefully inspire the next generation of quantum scientists to push the field forward.”
These high school students have demonstrated the benefits of early quantum exposure in action. Pavan Jayasinha, a senior at the Silverthorn Collegiate Institute in Toronto, Canada, is an intern at Zapata Computing and has been learning quantum computing since he bumped across a blog by Michael Nielsen. He learned quantum computing using Qiskit by following the tutorials in the Qiskit Textbook.
“When I started learning quantum computing, I realized that I had a huge gap in math and I did not even know what a logarithm was,” said Jayasinha. “I spent a lot of my time learning that math, and it helped me to get a better intuition while learning algorithms like Shor’s and Grover’s Algorithm”
Jayasinha also participated in several other quantum events: He finished several IBM Quantum Challenges, completed the Qubit by Qubit course, and took part in the Qiskit Summer School 2020. Jayasinha is interested in Quantum Machine Learning (QML) and is looking forward to attending this year’s Qiskit Summer School, which focuses on QML.
The Qiskit community team also supports organizations and community members through programs like After School Matters and Girls’ Day Workshop in Germany, which cater to student needs in their respective regions.
After School Matters provides high school students and teenagers an opportunity to explore their passions and develop their talents through classes and summer programs. The program offers apprenticeships and internships that cover areas such as science, sports, technology, college readiness skills, and communication. Pratiti Deb, Quantum Developer Intern at IBM Quantum, was an instructor for the After School Matters quantum computing class supported by IBM, where she taught students the building blocks of a quantum computer and how they can perform experiments on real quantum computers on the cloud.
“Most of the students were Black and brown teens from the Chicago Public Schools system, which was important to me because I want the future of quantum computing to be inclusive and to have a wide range of stakeholders, especially those from marginalized communities,” said Deb. “My hope was to get them to think more about how this technology will affect our lives and help us solve problems not just in physics and computer science, but in other areas, too.”
These students received hands-on experience with projects, as well as mentorship from industry experts. Falconery Castro, a sophomore in high school, heard about quantum computing for the first time when he stumbled upon a YouTube video. Fascinated by the math and programming elements, he started looking for programs where he could learn more about the topic and joined the After School Matters program.
“I was able to learn a lot,” said Castro. “The teacher taught us the basic concepts, like the gates, and the math. Initially it was a bit hard for me and I could not understand that math, but I kept on learning. If you’re someone who is looking to challenge yourself, then quantum computing is something that you should learn”
Meanwhile, the Girls’ Day Workshop has motivated lots of high school girls in Germany to take up a career in Science, Technology Engineering, and Mathematics (STEM). Qiskit community members hosted a four-hour workshop that taught high school girls the basics of quantum computing, including the theoretical concepts and a demonstration of the IBM Quantum Experience to create simple quantum circuits. Isabel Nha Minh Le, Quantum Community Intern at IBM Quantum who herself attended girls day 10 years ago, collaborated with Girls’ Day to help students like Frida Offermann and Mareike Betzinger understand the importance of quantum computers and the difference between them and classical computers.
“Quantum computing is magical, but it’s just physics and that’s what I love about it,” said Betzinger. “My advice for all the girls like me, especially the ones who are interested in physics or quantum computing, is: If people tell you that quantum is just for boys, keep your chin up and don’t lose your faith in yourself! If you’re interested in physics and quantum computing, try it out and prove them wrong.”
These high school students are proving that anyone can learn quantum computing— it’s all a matter of challenging yourself. The Qiskit team is hoping to build the most diverse community possible, including high school students who are learning quantum computing, to help solve the world’s most challenging problems. Get started with Qiskit by clicking here, and get started with the Qiskit Textbook here.
