In the fall of 2011, Professor Brad Yourth introduced a computer club to his students on the Clearwater campus. This club is modeled after the Association for Computing Machinery (ACM) club which was originally formed in 1947 when computers were called machines. Though much time has passed since its beginning, the ACM club strives for excellence and endeavors to stay abreast with industry standards. According to Yourth, ACM is “the world’s largest educational and scientific computing society with resources that advance computing as a science and profession.”

ACM is typically made up of computer scientists, engineers, programmers, technicians and students. Yourth strongly recommends ACM for students who wish to pursue a career in the computer field. He encourages students to join the SPC club to enhance their educational experience. The St. Petersburg College computer club is designed to help students explore computer programming languages, programming robotics and X-Box games. Students also have the opportunity to visit local computer establishments and attend programming competitions.

 Students who express interest in the club can contact Yourth at Yourth.Brad@spcollege.edu to join. On a periodic basis, students will receive notifications about club events from Yourth. Though membership with ACM is not required, students who join the SPC club must pay an annual fee of $39.00. Currently, Professor Yourth is looking into SPC club funds to cover expenses.